Arthritis Pain Relief 101
By Charlene J. Nuble, Fri Dec 9th

Coming of age equals coming of a variety of body pains. And doyou know what most of our oldies would complain about regardingthis issue? Arthritis. An estimate of over 50 million Americanssuffer from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and otherconditions related conditions.

The most common form of is osteoarthritis. It is thekind of that usually affects nearly three-quarters ofthose over 50. At the onset of arthritis, pain is not a part ofthe major system yet. Morning and after rest stiffness andcrackling joints are usually the first few symptoms that confirmthe diagnosis of the condition. Upon the development of thedisease, patients are expected to suffer from more discomfort,disability and pain.

If left untreated, it can become progressively distressing andpainful crippling can result. This is particularly true withrheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid usually affectswomen. It is prevalent with age group of 20 to 45.

Arthritis is not only caused by the wear and tear the jointsundergo. There are other factors that aggravate this condition.Rheumatoid is considered an immune deficiency syndromewhere antibodies develop against components of joint tissue, andmistakenly and aggressively attack the joints. Misdirectedneovascularization leads to displacement of water whiledecreasing the volume and viscosity of synovial fluid (fluidbetween joints), further lessening the flexibility andcushioning power of the joint, until the surfaces of rawunprotected bone painfully begin to wear against each other, asit happens in conditions of Osteoarthritis. Inborn recessivegenetic errors may also predict the inclination of a person todevelop arthritis.

Dealing with the chronic pain of can be frustrating.Pain from is often caused by inflammation, a localizedprotective reaction of tissues to irritation or any kind ofinjury and is often characterized by pain,

redness, swelling andeven disability. Crepitation is a process that can also causethe pain that is felt by an patient. It is the rubbingtogether of two bone fragments that cause a crackling sound.Muscle tension and fatigue can also cause the pain.

The usual treatment for is through the use ofpainkillers. Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) likeaspirin can help relieve the pain of arthritis. But they onlytarget the symptom and not the disease itself. Studies even showthat the continual use of these NSAIDs may even cause jointdeterioration thus making worse. Modern medicine doesnot have much to offer for the cure of this disease.

The traditional temporary pain relief medicationsavailable leave a lot to be desired. Other pain solutions can berelied on to achieve pain relief. Massage therapy,hydrotherapy and cold packs are a few of the simple methods ofpain management. Herbal remedies such as ginger, willow bark andfish oils and the well-known cartilage constituents glucosaminesulfate and chondroitin sulfate are also promising a lot inrevolutionizing the treatment of arthritis. Aside from thesymptomatic relief they offer, they actually interfere with theorigin of the disease. They are also being considered to helpthe body rebuild functioning joints. Also reported to be fastacting,in cream form, they increase mobility and optimal repairof joint structures as they help reinforce the body's protectivelinings and lubricating fluids by recovering cell stability andfunction to stop further damage.

Those discovered treatments among many might just be the bestamong the elusive pain relief that are commerciallyavailable. But above all, no matter how clichéd it may sound, anounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

About the author:Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and informationabout arthritis, please go to:http://arthritis.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links andinformation on all health related topics, go to:http://www.besthealthlink.net/