Feel in in the Bones

Living with arthritis need not be
perpetually painful. Toufiq Rashid
lists some lifestyle changes and
medical interventions

The Indian Express
Sunday, July 28, 2002

Do you have trouble rising from bed in the morning? Is
buttoning your shirt a herculean task? Do you have
difficulty in walking, climbing stairs and even writing?
You might well be one of the millions of people suffering
from arthritis. An estimated 50 per cent of those
afflicted with arthritis are aged 65 and above, about
250,000 children, too, are known to suffer from
arthritis.

So, what is arthritis?

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are chronic,
disabling and progressive diseases. Joint pain is the
primary symptom, and is thought to be brought on by
activity, though in severe cases, it could be present
even in rest. Loss of movement, stiffness and swelling in
the joints, bony growths at the joints and abnormal
angulation and abnormal angulations are all symptoms of
arthritis. Often, the impairment of functions is more
depressing to the patients than the pain itself. The goal
of all arthritis treatment is preservation or improvement
of the functions; there is no cure for it.

What is the commonest kind of arthritis?

There are various kinds of arthritis, but osteoarthritis
is the commonest, says Dr Yash Gulati, consultant and
knee surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo. ''It involves
deterioration of the hip and the knee joints and is age
related. Movement becomes painful and slow, deformity may
also result.''

The actual appearance of the knee may change over time,
so much so that patients become knock-kneed or bow-
legged. Without exercise, the affected part becomes
weaker and may even shrink. When the hip is involved, the
joint pain may cause the patient to limp; the pain may
also spread to the groin or the inner thigh. The affected
leg may also appear shorter. In fingers, the breakdown of
cartilage causes bone spurs in the joints. These are more
common in women than in men, and in people as young as
40.

But osteoarthritis isn't the only kind of arthritis. No,
there are more aggressive forms of the disease.

o Cervical arthritis or cervical spondylosis is an
osteoarthritic condition affecting the upper spine and is
more common in women than in men. It results from
degeneration of the vertebra in the neck and in the
flexible disks of shock-absorbing cartilage present in
between. The space in between muscles is narrowed,
causing compression of the nerves leading from the spinal
cord. Symptoms include pain, tenderness, muscle weakness,
numbness, headache and loss of balance.

o Rheumatoid arthritis is inflammatory arthritis
affecting the synovium, the thin membrane that lines the
joints. The membrane thickens and produces chemical
substances that damage the cartilage, bone, capsule,
ligaments and tendons. The cause is not known; experts
variously blame heredity, infection, hormones and even
personal immune systems.

o Gout arthritis involves needle-like crystals of uric
acid deposited in the ligaments and cartilages of the
joints, which cause swelling and extreme pain.
Contributing factors include certain high protein foods
like meat, seafood, dried peas, beans and vegetables, as
well as crash diets, dehydration and weight loss.

Is arthritis area specific?

''Climate does have a role to play in arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in cold areas. The
warm weather has a soothing affect on arthritis, but it
does not reverse the disease. Gout is usually limited to
particular areas; in India, for instance, it is more
common in Jammu and Kashmir,'' says Dr Gulati.

How can arthritis be diagnosed and treated?

Your doctor is the best person to determine the type of
arthritis you have. It is important to tell your
physician about where, when and how long you suffer pain,
about any swellings or redness or tenderness.

Living with arthritis -- how difficult is it?

Successful treatments involve exercise, rest, maintenance
of ideal body weight, local application of hot and cold
compresses and proper medication. Surgery is recommended
in severe cases. But most of all, doctors place faith in
family support. Each patient has to adapt to his or her
limitations and remain optimistic.

Read the complete news at:
http://www.indianexpress.com

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How do you know it can be lived without pain? Do you have arthritis and are
you on treatment?



"Dr. Jai Maharaj" <usenet@mantra.com> wrote in message
news:health-1435.20030807@news.mantra.com...

In article <bgulvl$rk392$1@ID-185779.news.uni-berlin.de>,
"debbie m." <dm8@roman.net> posted:
Do you suffer from arthritis?

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

In article <bgulvl$rk392$1@ID-185779.news.uni-berlin.de>,
dm8@roman.net says...

--

"One of the most striking differences between a cat
and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives."
Puddinhead Wilson's Calendar
(Mark Twain)
-----
mr(dot)bones(at)att(dot)net

debbie m. wrote:

Johnny has many illnesses, both of age and health, as well as of
character. The treatment, in his case, requires the administration of
pain, which is being steadily applied under the direction of Dr. Snoopy.
Johnny's afflictions are proving to be quite stubborn, possibly
requiring a ratcheting up of the pain level and/or the duration of the
treatment. Stay tuned for progress reports.

Thanks for all of your replies. I have never replied to him, ever, but this
one just got to me as I sat in pain and saw the bold caps in the subject
line.

debbie m.
www.angelfire.com/ga2/angels1/




"debbie m." <dm8@roman.net> wrote in message
news:bgulvl$rk392$1@ID-185779.news.uni-berlin.de...

In article <bh056b$skrle$1@ID-185779.news.uni-berlin.de>,
"debbie m." <dm8@roman.net> posted:
Yes, the article says:

LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS NEED NOT BE PERPETUALLY PAINFUL.

Evidently, there's something that can be done about your
pain. Please consult a duly trained and licensed health care
professional in person.

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

"debbie m." <dm8@roman.net> wrote in message
news:bh056b$skrle$1@ID-185779.news.uni-berlin.de...


And once more you quoted his entire original post. You gave him exposure
again.

Are you a shill working undercover for the son-of-a-bitch?

Chief, I don't think so...as I have inadvertently kept in the original post
also...more of an oversight.
donnah



"firechief" <Postmaster@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:uf0_a.76690$zy.50063@fed1read06...

Joe wrote:


And debbie m. responded:


Debbie, whenever you quote something distasteful, you are giving
the original author double billing, as if you agree with it.

I've seen it again and again, usually with sexual-orientated posts,
someone complains, belly aches, moans and groans, but they
have quoted the entire post that contained the obscene material
they abhor. It doesn't make sense to say something disagrees
with you, then subject/expose the entire group to that original
post a second or third or fourth time.

Firechief,

I did not do anything intentionally. Never even thought of the post being
at the bottom of my reply. Anyone could have chosen to read the original
post or not. And I am not an idiot. I do nothing but support everyone
here. I have lost what little respect I had left for you. Not that I think
you really care.

debbie m.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/angels1/


"firechief" <Postmaster@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:ELl_a.78139$zy.38430@fed1read06...