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Tag: arthritis

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tips To Help You Cope This Winter

    Staying active can be difficult for many rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, especially during the harsh winter months.

    Research has shown that those who suffer from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis benefit from physical activity.

    Constant movement is said to ease pain, and improve body function and overall quality of life.

    At the same time winter is a month when many people, even those who don’t suffer from chronic physical ailments, become less physically active.

    The cold temperatures and harsh weather can make it difficult to get out and give such a sensation of uncomfortableness that no one wishes to leave their cozy home.

    It’s important that those with rheumatoid arthritis make the attempt to stay physically active, even during the winter.

    Here are a few tips for how to make that happen:

    1.) Dress for the weather

    If you are properly insulated against cold weather (whether indoors or outside), you won’t mind the cold nearly as much.

    Invest in long underwear, insulation clothing, and quality outerwear.

    2.) Find a water walking class

    Too cold for your regular outdoor walks? Consider a water walking class.

    Water exercises tend to be less harsh on the joints than traditional exercises.

    “The water’s buoyancy supports the body’s weight, which reduces stress on the joints and minimizes pain,” said Vennie Jones, who works as an aquatic coordinator.

    “And it’s still a great workout. Water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so as you walk, you’re really strengthening and building muscle.”

    Regular underwater workouts can help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers get their regular exercise while avoiding frigid weather conditions.

    3.) Consider heat (or even cold) therapy

    Heat therapy can be a welcome relief for arthritis pain as the treatment is said to both stimulate blood circulation and reduce muscle spasms.

    Cold therapy meanwhile can reduce pain through the constriction of blood vessels.

    It may take individuals with rheumatoid arthritis some time to figure out which treatment works best.

    Definitely use heat (and/or cold therapy) to quell aching muscles while maintaining efforts to stay mobile.

    It’s important to keep moving, no matter how cold it gets. The more active rheumatoid arthritis patients remain, the better it is for their overall health.

    What methods have you found help with rheumatoid arthritis during winter months?

  • Arthritis Symptoms? Four Ways To Possibly Experience Immediate Relief

    Arthritis symptoms are said by sufferers to worsen as the weather gets colder.

    If you find your symptoms have worsened as the weather cools, then you’re no doubt seeking ways to greatly reduce or relieve pain as soon as possible.

    It’s believed that if you do one or more of the following, you should experience some relief from arthritis, if not see a vast improvement in overall physical function.

    YOGA

    Yoga is used for everything from weight loss to stress reduction.

    It only makes sense as this ancient practice is scientifically proven to promote mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

    If you suffer from arthritis, there are reportedly multiple benefits to taking up yoga.

    Note: there are certain types of yoga to avoid, as they may prove too strenuous for arthritis sufferers.

    Stick to hatha, anusara, iyengar or nidra forms of yoga.

    NUTRITION

    Believe it or not, what you eat can have a profound effect on your joints.

    For instance, it’s believed that a protein found in dairy products can contribute to arthritis pain. Other items to cut back on include fried foods, sugary snacks, and refined carbs.

    Instead it’s recommended that you add fatty cold water fish like salmon and mackerel to your diet.

    MASSAGE

    When it comes to relief for aching muscles and joints, even self-massage is a preferable form of treatment.

    In fact a 2006 study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found that arthritis symptoms such as pain and stiffness improved following a massage session, as did the individual’s range of motion.

    Though regular massage sessions have been known to reduce painful arthritis symptoms, it is still recommended that you contact your doctor to determine if regular massage is right for you.

    CAYENNE PEPPER

    It is believed that using cayenne topically can help reduce symptoms of pain suffered by those with arthritis.

    The reason for this is that the pepper contains a high amount of capsaicin. When applied to the skin, this substance is said to cause a brief stinging sensation as it targets the nerves.

    Relief comes from capsaicin’s ability to intefere with a chemical known to send pain signals to the brain.

    The fact is there is no permanent solution to arthritis. However, these tools are felt to greatly reduce symptoms immediately while helping to improve one’s quality of life. Applying these tips regularly might help you see amazing results.

    Do you have any other tips to share with frequent arthritis sufferers?

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: Are You Raising Your Personal Risk Level?

    Rheumatoid arthritis is no laughing matter.

    About 1.5 million Americans are believed to suffer from the condition, which causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints. While the exact cause is not known, the immune system of the sufferer is said to attack the joint tissues.

    Of all Americans diagnosed, nearly three fourths of them are women.

    If you are a smoker, your habit is thought to exponentially increase your overall likelihood of developing the condition.

    Now a study out of Sweden shows that there’s something else that can make suffering from rheumatoid arthritis even more likely—To be a smoker who also enjoys a diet high in salt!

    The initial goal of the research was to determine if too much sodium can be an additional risk factor in the development of RA.

    They indeed found that this was the case…but only among smokers.

    In an email to Reuters Health, Björn Sundström said of the findings, “Although we could not confirm our original hypothesis, we were surprised by the large influence of sodium intake on smoking as a risk factor.”

    Sundström was already aware that smoking was a “strong risk factor” on its own. But he was not expecting was for salt to compound an existing and serious factor rather than exist as a stand alone concern.

    It turns out that “less than ideal food habits” play a larger role than expected in the health problems suffered by chronic smokers.

    Perhaps this shouldn’t be so surprising.

    Although there are proven negative health effects associated with smoking, excess sodium is also known to be damaging. This is true even if one has NEVER picked up a cigarette in their life!

    Perhaps the lesson here is that one can’t expect any good to come of a series of decisions that will ultimately cause negative health problems.

    Please watch your salt intake. Also don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’d like to quit smoking.

  • Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Research May Yield Cures

    A new research project valued at roughly $230 million may yield the answers for curing Alzheimer’s, diabetes, lupus, and arthritis.

    Eight of the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies are collaborating on the project with the National Institute of Health and the U.S. government to conduct extensive research on Alzheimer’s patients.

    Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Merck, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Abbvie Inc., Biogen Idec Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., GlaxoSmithKline, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. are all participating in the joint effort, dividing the $230 million project costs evenly between themselves and the NIH.

    Upon the estimate that Alzheimer’s victims will triple in numbers by 2015, the U.S. government decided to try and eradicate the crippling illness once and for all. The treatments for – and costs incurred from – the debilitating disease cost the country billions of dollars each year, currently affecting more than 5 million people in the U.S.

    All research for determining an Alzheimer’s cure conducted previously has proven fruitless. Scientists at the top drug companies say that technology and science have not advanced far enough yet for a cure to be feasible. In the last two years, alone, two of the nation’s top companies each lost a substantial amount of funds from unsuccessful ventures into potential treatments for curing the disease.

    Now, the evidence pointing to a possible solution for ending Alzheimer’s has become available, with researchers being able to pinpoint common “biomarkers” in tissue samples taken from Alzheimer’s patients, the keys to finding possible drug targets.

    The NIH says that this first round of research – on Alzheimer’s – is expected to last about three to five years; should it end successfully, there is a very good chance that lupus, diabetes, and arthritis will also be explored.

    However, new advancements in diabetes research has potentially slowed the severe need for studies to be conducted on diabetic patients to attempt to find a cure.

    An associate professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, Ed Damiano, has joined together with Harvard Medical School assistant professor, Dr. Steven Russell, to develop a bionic pancreas that allows diabetics to live normal lives. The pancreas, which has been tested in groups of both adults and children, has been a success in regulating blood sugar levels without the patient having to inject insulin and keep a constant check on their own levels.

    The “pancreas” has now been developed into something as small as a playing card, according to USA TODAY, checking and regulating blood sugar on its own through a continuous glucose monitor.

    The monitor, which was first controlled by a laptop, is now controlled through an app on the iPhone, which is alerted when blood sugar levels need to be adjusted. The app then signals to the monitor that it needs to calculate how much of the blood sugar-regulating hormones, insulin and glucagon, the patient needs. The pancreas then releases the hormone on it’s own, after being given the necessary amount(s) needed by the monitor.

    Type 1 diabetic Scott Scolnick, who participated in the trials, says that the device has “changed his life,” proving that no matter what or when he eats, his blood sugar will remain at a safe and healthy level.

    Says Scolnick, “It’s been the most freeing experience I ever had in my life.”

    Damiano, whose son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he almost a year old, vowed to his child that by the time his son left for college, his dad would have created a bionic pancreas. Damiano’s son, now a teenager, is about four years away from leaving for college. Damiano says that a promise is a promise, and that his vow to his son is one in which he intends to keep.

    Damiano and Russell hope to have the pancreas approved by the FDA by 2017.

    Main image courtesy @WSJ via Twitter.

  • Weight Loss Can Help Arthritis Sufferers

    Weight Loss Can Help Arthritis Sufferers

    Are you suffering from knee arthritis? Losing weight could help. A recent study shows that people who combined diet and exercise to lose weight saw a change in their arthritis symptoms. While exercising itself can relieve some pain associated with arthritis, the weight loss is the big factor in pain relief.

    “While both the exercise and the diet interventions separately were beneficial, the combination of the two was superior in virtually every outcome,” Stephen Messier, who led the study at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said

    Extra weight can cause the cartilage in the knees to break down sooner, leading to inflammation, pain and stiffness. When an arthritis suffered loses weight, the knees get a break and the symptoms go away or decrease.

    “No one expects diet and exercise to have a huge impact” on osteoarthritis, Dr. Amanda Nelson, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center, said.

    “The fact that most of the improvements were modest is what we would expect to see.”

    During the study, 454 overweight and obese adults with mild or moderate knee arthritis were assigned 18 months of diet counseling, exercise or both.
    By the end of the study, people assigned to both diet and exercise had lost an average of 23 pounds. That compared to almost 20 pounds in the diet-only group and four pounds among those who only exercised. Compared to people in the exercise-only group, those who combined diet and exercise had less knee inflammation and pain and better functioning at 18 months.

    Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Arthritis, It’s Time To Get Serious

    Arthritis, It’s Time To Get Serious

    Sufferers of arthritis, the disease referring to inflamation of the joints, will be happy to hear some good news that has recently been released from the Canadian organization, The Arthritis Society. As the largest non-government funded organization in Canada responsible for research into arthritis, The Arthritis Society, has pledged to donate over $4.5 million in order to further research the disease. The organization has been active on Twitter with providing support to longtime sufferers of the disease as well as those recently diagnosed.

    According to The Arthritis Society’s chief mission officer, Joanne Simons, “The Arthritis Society is committed to setting lives in motion and one of the ways we do this is through the funding of research that will have an impact on people living with arthritis today. In addition, we are also tremendously fortunate to fund many young investigators who are just beginning their careers in arthritis, a field of study that everyday has the potential for a major breakthrough.”

    Symptoms typically involve joint pain and stiffness, which hinder bodily movement. While the two main types of arthritis, (osteoarthritis, which is caused by normal wear on the body, and rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder) vary in cause both can be debilitating.

    In order for societal improvements regarding health diagnoses, treatments, and overall support to be given to those diagnosed with arthritis, the disease has to be promoted. Fortunately, this is where organizations like The Arthritis Society are paramount in fighting for those afflicted. The Arthritis Society has taken the initiative and passion to devote needed resources to improving the cause as shown from continued messages shared on the organization’s Twitter page.

    So devoted to the cause, the Canadian society has launched a month long campaign to encourage the community to become involved by designating the month of September entirely for awareness of the disease. Using social media is just one of the many avenues the society has taken in order to further promote the cause and encourage research. The Arthritis Society has even taken to the streets, literally, participating in a flash mob in order to grab the attention of the public as shown in the following video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXL5PbS_vm8

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Arthritis Drug Approved by the U.S. FDA

    Arthritis Drug Approved by the U.S. FDA

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults who have not responded to methotrexate.

    The twice-daily pill works by blocking molecules known as “Janus kinases.” The approval was based on the medication’s approval was based on its demonstrated effectiveness and safety in seven clinical trials. In all of the trials, adults with moderate to severe RA “experienced improvement in clinical response and physical functioning” when treated with Xeljanz. The drug was, however, associated with an increased increases in cholesterol and an increased risk of serious infections, including tuberculosis, cancers, and lymphoma.

    “RA is a serious and disabling disease that affects people in their everyday lives, and many patients do not adequately respond or are intolerant to currently available therapies,” said Dr. Stanley Cohen, study investigator and clinical professor of rheumatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. “In clinical trials, Xeljanz significantly reduced the signs and symptoms of RA and improved physical function. As a physician, I am pleased that we have another choice for patients living with inadequately controlled, moderately to severely active RA.”

    According to the FDA, RA is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue, leading to the inflammation of joints. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that it affects 1.5 million Americans.

    Xeljanz was developed by Pfizer, and the company has agreed to conduct post-marketing clinical trials to evaluate the long-term safety of the drug.

  • Loch Ness Monster Arthritis: Even Pliosaurs Get the Blues

    Loch Ness Monster Arthritis isn’t some sort of bizarre disease that you’re likely to learn about while watching reruns of terrible sitcoms in the wee hours of the morning. No, according to a team of researchers at the University of Bristol in England, recent studies have shown that pilosaurs — creatures that are not unlike the mysterious creature of Scottish lore — were susceptible to degenerative conditions that are similar to modern-day arthritis.

    “This pliosaur, like many of its relatives, was truly huge,” vertebrate paleontologist Michael Benton explained to LiveScience. “To stand beside its skull and realize that it is 3 meters long, and massive and heavy as it is, that it once functioned with muscles and blood vessels and nerves, is amazing. You can lie down inside its mouth.”

    The specimen Benton is referring to is the 150-million-years-old Pliosaurus discovered by collector Simon Carpenter in 1994, which is currently housed at Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.While studying the specimen, researchers soon noticed an arthritic-like condition in the Pliosaur’s left jaw joint, causing the bone to fracture. This, in turn, caused the jaw to become crooked, which might have made feeding quite difficult.

    “The most exciting aspect of this research for me is the arthritic condition, which has never been seen before in these or similar Mesozoic reptiles,” Judyth Sassoon, a searcher at the University of Bristol, explained.

    So what does all of this have to do with the Loch Ness Monster, you ask? Many people believe that the seldom-seen creature is a long-long descendent of the Pliosaurs, which means it could be suffering from the same arthritic conditions as its ancestors. However, no one from the Scottish Highlands can confirm if this story is just another clever ruse by the monster to extort tree fiddy from unsuspecting residents and tourists.

    [h/t: Amanda Crum]