How To Guide

Example 1

Meredith Boyd

JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) is a cruel disease. It strikes when you least expect it, and its cruelty mainly resides in the fact that, even though rheumatoid arthritis is commonly associated with elderly people, this form of the disease only strikes young people, people in their teens.

Meredith Boyd, a beautiful young woman from Georgia, is proud to call herself a JRA survivor. She shares her story with the hope that she will motivate young people that have to fight this illness and will become a living example for those who might be tempted to give up. She tells us that her diagnosis was clear when she was 15 years old and still in high school. She says that she was lucky enough to receive her diagnosis in only six months, and goes through the history of her illness: it all started with wearing knee braces and using crutches, and it ended with two surgical interventions, first at the right leg and at the left leg afterwards.

She says that she was… Read More

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis or know someone who does, you must know how debilitating this disease can be. Is it preventable?

Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the joints in the body. In early stages, if it is caught, then it may be possible to stop it from worsening. There may be many remedies to stave off the pain, but currently allopathy neither has a cure for this disease nor does it have any FDA approved treatment to prevent it.

Autoimmune disorder

Autoimmune disorders are those that occur when the body cells turn rogue. Whether it a simple case of allergy or a complicated case of cancer, there is a whole range of autoimmune diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis is one of them.

What you have to do is to recognize the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis and take action before it is too late.

Warning signs

Some of the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are:

• Swelling of any joint
• Inflammation
• Pain on touching or moving
• Morning stiffness in the joints
• Sometimes there… Read More

Rheumatoid arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints, which can be extremely disabling.

If you have any joint pain, stiffness, immobility or inflammation, for some time, don’t ignore it by taking over the counter pain killers. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect any joint whether the knee joints, elbows, or fingers or even the thermo-mandibular joint (in the jaws). It usually results in inflammation of the synovial membranes, which surround the joints, causing swelling.

It can be disabling and even crippling. People with rheumatoid arthritis can slowly find it difficult to walk, move their fingers or whichever joint the rheumatoid arthritis has affected. The disease can have a negative effect on the quality of life. Your family doctor or general practitioner may refer you to a rheumatoid arthritis specialist, a rheumatologist. Or he may ask for tests and then refer you.

Physical exam

Firstly a doctor will conduct a physical exam, after taking down your medical history. He or she will check for swellings, how much pain is present, the kind of movements the joints are capable of and more.… Read More

Osteoarthritis is most commonly found in the weight-bearing joint, that is the knee joints and people who are obese are particularly prone to it.

Even though many people suffer from osteoarthritis of the knees, the disease can be found in other joints like the hip, hands, neck and back, foot, shoulder, though these are not as common as the knees. Pain and stiffness in the joints, with the pain getting worse towards evening and night are among the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage, which cushions the joints, wears and thins out and bones then start rubbing against each other. Often the bones grow spurs or osteophytes that cause even more pain.

At the doctor’s office

If you have joint pains, after taking over the counter painkillers for sometime, you will most likely go to a doctor. He or she will take your medical history and then carry out a physical exam. You may be referred to an orthopedic doctor also.

The doctor will check the reflexes, muscle strength and for swelling, physically feeling for it. He will… Read More

Nobody knows why some people get osteoarthritis, while others do not. There are lots of things you do to reduce your chances of getting this disease.

The statistics are quite alarming. As many as one in five people – that is 20 percent of the population – is likely to get osteoarthritis. This disease, which occurs when there is breakdown of the cartilage, which cushions the joint bones from rubbing against each other, can have enormously negative effects on the quality of life.

Arthritis may occur because of ageing, general wear and tear and it can even have a genetic factor. Walking, sitting, moving around can be affected. Many forms of exercise may become impossible. The individual can become wheelchair bound or have to use a walker to move around. Is there anything you can do to prevent from becoming a statistic?

Weight

Obesity is a major factor stressing the weight bearing joints mainly, hips, knees, ankles and lower back. Osteoarthritis often attacks the knees and this causes major health problems to the individual. As movement becomes difficult, the knees… Read More

Often both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis present similar symptoms so it is important to get a diagnosis as early as possible.

There are many different joint conditions, which present with similar symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, lupus, lyme disease, fibromyalgia, gout, scleroderma, pseudogout, bursitis, ankylosing spondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome Reiter’s syndrome and even more are some diseases which have many symptoms in common. There are as many as 100 disorders, which are arthritic or similar to arthritis.

As there are so many different disorders with similar symptoms, sometimes diagnosis can take time and many tests. The earlier you can get a definitive diagnosis, the sooner you can start on the proper line of treatment. Meanwhile you will most likely to be put on painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs by the doctor if you experience a lot of pain.

Common symptoms

The common symptoms of any arthritic condition are pain and stiffness in any joint. The pain may be accompanied by swelling, tenderness, inflammation and even fever. Often the range of normal movements will be affected. You will have pain when using that… Read More

Example 1

Arthritis can be a very painful condition, but for many sufferers it will not be the defining part of their life. For 10 years the writer of this article has been living with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) keeping her inside for days at a time, although she likes to walk when she can. Different forms of arthritis had been a part of her family and while soreness and stiffness had plagued her, they were not going to keep her from enjoying her life.

Her prognosis started in 1998 when her feet were sore, but as she worked on her feet like most of use, she thought nothing of it. The pain spread through her hands, shoulders and wrists prompting a doctor’s visit, which determined RA, were present, as she had suspected. Over the years, she was forced into retirement although life still proceeds with friends, family, exercise, writing and travel. A general “I’m Fine” has been the response over the years to others questions about her day and health as they were for both her mother and father. Simple… Read More

Discovering how to treat juvenile arthritis is very important. Children of all ages can be affected by it. Doing all you can to reduce the pain and to help them live as normal of a life as possible is very important. The most effective treatment will depend on what type of juvenile arthritis your child has. After your doctor has made the diagnosis they can help you to pursue the best possible treatment.

Medication for the Treatment of Juvenile Arthritis

Medications are a huge part of how to treat juvenile arthritis. This can range from taking medication during flare ups or a daily medication as a method of prevention. It really depends on how severe the problem is for the child.

Many children are able to get some relief through the use of over the counter products that are for children. Not only do they assist with reducing the swelling and inflammation, but they also serve to help fight off the onset of fever.

If over the counter products aren’t enough to take care of the problem, prescription medication may… Read More

When we think about arthritis, we often think about the elderly. While it is a typical health concern for them there is also another form of it. Juvenile arthritis can occur in children that are very young. Exploring how to understand juvenile arthritis is important for parents. That way they can seek medical attention if it is possible their child has been affected by it.

More than 300,000 children are suffering from the burning, swelling, and inflammation caused by juvenile arthritis. It affects the joints so typical movements that a child would make become very difficult to complete. They may not be able to get dressed for the day without there being some type of pain. Doing homework, playing, and even resting can all prove to be very hard for them.

What are the Causes of Juvenile Arthritis?

Even though we do know many children develop this joint problem, there isn’t concrete evidence to explain what the causes of it are. It is believed that it has something to do with the immune system though. Instead of protecting the body… Read More

Two examples below

Stephanie

Stephanie is doing her bachelor’s degree online. She has a husband and children and lives in Colorado. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and has to bear a lot of pain as her feet and hands get swollen specially when the weather changes. Her husband, too, suffers from narcolepsy.

However, she takes pain killers, cortisone, sometimes a cocktail of drugs like Methotrexate and Plaquenil to help her cope and get moving, trying to live as normal a life as possible. She also runs a home tutoring business, while trying to get a full time job.

Kim

Kim lives in Chicago with her husband and six cats. She was misdiagnosed for a long time and after having a series of tests over two years, and going to a third rheumatoid arthritis doctor, she was finally diagnosed with arthritis. Because of her misdiagnoses, she also developed neuropathy.

‘I can no longer open jars; in the way I use my arms rather than my hands to hold doors open; in the way I can’t play 18 holes of golf… Read More