Show Me The Natural Cures For Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment
November 4th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
A painful condition that will have you looking for cures anywhere that you can find them, including looking for natural cures, rheumatoid arthritis can quickly gain control of your life.
Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is a lifelong autoimmune disease distinguished by the inflammation throughout the lining of the joints. This form of arthritis can leave you with long term joint damage. It is this joint damage that deals you days wrought with chronic pain, a battle to regain lost bodily function, and can even leave you facing disability.
Early and aggressive treatment is absolutely necessary if you plan on staying healthy and whole. It is a battle to face the demons of rheumatoid arthritis, but with the advances in treatment of RA, there is hope for you. In fact, not only has traditional medicine made advances in these treatments, but alternative treatments or natural treatments have also gained popularity. Most doctors believe that a combination of traditional medicine and natural cures for rheumatoid arthritis is the best hope.
Two natural cures for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis include chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. These products work by improving the elasticity of your cartilage and by assisting in the formation and repair of your cartilage. These natural cures are heroes when it comes to reducing morning stiffness.
Another natural cure for rheumatoid arthritis is MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane. It is thought that MSM reduces pain by acting as an analgesic as well as by reducing the inflammation which can cause pain. This natural cure is also thought to help with the maintenance and repair of your body’s cartilage.
PT and OT, physical therapy and occupational therapy, are two additional natural cures for rheumatoid arthritis which can help you to get moving again. These disciplines teach you how to move again and how to best move in order to best protect your joints.
Physical therapy is designed to keep you moving. Through movement, physical therapy helps to stimulate the muscles, bones and joints through gentle joint-protecting exercises. It can also help you to increase the amount of flexibility and strength that you have.
With the use of the natural cure of occupational therapy you can learn to really maximize your independence. An occupational therapist can work closely with you to see exactly where you are stressing your joints unnecessarily and can also give you personalized suggestions and handy dandy tools that can help you with simple tasks such as opening a jar, turning your keys or even getting a cookie sheet out of the oven.
A favorite natural therapy is massage therapy. Simply divine. Massage therapy can help your rheumatoid arthritis pain and stiffness by reducing muscle spasms and tension. It can also help to increase the body’s natural production of endorphins which are known as natural pain killers. But the most important piece of advice if you are going to get a massage is to work with a therapist who has been specifically trained in the art of working with rheumatoid arthritis patients. Without this skill you could be injured and no natural cure is worth that!
With natural cures for rheumatoid arthritis many people today are living happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. Early aggressive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can limit joint damage, which will limit loss of movement, decreased ability to work, higher medical cost and potential surgery. It is important to see your doctor to discuss what treatment option is right for you.
About the Author:
For more information on healthy living, be sure to visit www.the-health-hub.com where you’ll find information on health topics such as arthritis, diet and exercise, chronic pain & more You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.
Fish Oil to Cure Arthritis
October 1st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Arthritis is a condition that seems to have an ancient history. And now, after medical professionals have spent centuries developing newer and better treatments, one arthritis remedy seems to hold certain archaic qualities.
Fish oil is used to treat more than one hundred different types of arthritis. All forms are unique, yet most share similar chronic and painful symptoms. Men, women and children suffer with swelling of the affected areas, morning stiffness, sharp and throbbing pain, localized or widespread pain and a mild to severe loss of mobility.
Just as arthritis can present itself in many different forms, there is also a huge range of treatment options. These vary from conventional drug therapies to alternative methods such as specialized yoga. Every arthritis case is unique and so, not every treatment method will bring the same results all patients.
There has recently been an interesting shift affecting the way that doctors treat patients with arthritis. While natural medicine becomes mainstream, alternative treatment methods are more readily available and accepted. The use of fish oil is one particular trend that is exciting doctors and nutritionists alike.
Fish oil is known to be rich in two types of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both of these omega-3 fatty acids are highly respected and well documented for their abilities to reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis. These strong anti-inflammatory properties make fish oils a natural choice for arthritis sufferers. Of course, patients do have questions. Do fish oils work as arthritis treatments? More importantly, can fish oil actually relieve pain?
Most alternative medicine therapies are relatively new and, as a result, can lack the sufficient medical and scientific research needed to provide definite proof. As such, fish oil has yet to be proven effective in clinical trials. However, early research findings are encouraging.
Recent clinical trials and laboratory studies conclude that fish oil, because of its omega-3 structure, can be helpful in reducing morning muscle stiffness and joint pain that so many arthritis sufferers live with. Researchers have not yet concluded the appropriate dosage required for maximum effectiveness, nor how the fish oil treatment program should last.
Patients should be aware of the potential side effects of taking fish oil for arthritis:
Blood Clotting
In some cases, fish oil has created risks by affecting the blood’s clotting abilities. In other words, some patients may find that fish oil affects the time it takes for the blood to clot. In cases where the patient is already taking medication to affect the clotting of blood, this is an important issue to consider.
Lower Blood Pressure
Some patients taking fish oil supplements have found that the treatment may interact with existing blood pressure medications. If you supplement your diet with fish oil while taking high blood pressure medication, it may cause a significant drop in your blood pressure.
Natural Contaminants
Fish oil may naturally contain significant yet potentially dangerous levels of contaminants. Fish contain naturally-occurring mercury, and may be a poor choice for some patients. There are serious risks associated with the consumption of the contaminants found in fish oil, particularly to young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Shark, tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are known to contain the highest levels of mercury.
If you are considering taking fish oil supplements to treat arthritis, but you have concerns about the risks, avoid oils derived from those types of fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury. You’ll need to conduct some research, but the results are worth the efforts.
Arthritis patients should be aware of other potential concerns before starting fish oil therapy. Gas and other stomach disturbances can result from taking the supplements, but these are usually relatively minor.
Arthritis is certainly not a new disease. However, new treatment options are promising a new relief for arthritis sufferers. To find out more about fish oil, and other alternative arthritis treatments, speak to a trusted herbalist or your family doctor.
About the Author:
Author Mabel Dugmore is a writer for a variety of Internet magazines, on healthy living and pregnancy topics. Click here for other unique ‘fish oil’ articles.
