Arthritis means inflammation [itis] of the
joint [athron]. The term arthritis is used quite loosely
to describe problems with bones, muscles, and joints. Arthritis
falls under the heading of muscular skeletal disorders that
affects parts of the bones, joints and attached muscles.
In the United States, over 66 million adults
(just over 1 in 3 adults) are diagnosed with arthritis.
This figure has almost doubled in the last 20 years. Statistics
show that 20% of visits to the doctor are muscular skeletal
related and by the age of 60, 80% of people suffer from
arthritis. What I am trying to demonstrate to you is that
you are not alone. Arthritis is a very common condition,
but at the same time it is not an inevitable consequence
of ageing and neither is it isolated to the human species.
Many vertebrae mammals (animals with a backbone) suffer
from arthritis as well.
If we gain a proper understanding of the underlying
causes then we can act appropriately to prevent and relieve
the symptoms of arthritis.
Below is an article about a whale with arthritis.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5312236.stm
The most commonly affected areas are the hip
and knees in humans, when the cartilage between the bones
becomes damaged arthritis occurs. Without the smooth lubricating
cartilage, the bones begin to rub against each other. This
causes a great deal of pain and can potentially cause permanent
damage. The synovial membranes around the bones swell up
and begin to secrete substances that cause even further
erosion of cartilage and eventual damage of the bone.
Many people ignore the early warning signs
of aches and pains in and around their muscles and bones.
They do nothing, suffering in silence. This is possibly
the worse thing anyone can do. People fail to react while
their body is sending them clear messages in the form of
pain that something is wrong. Pain is one of the primary
ways our body informs us that there is something wrong.
People continue to suffer in silence until
their arthritis progresses so far that the pain can no longer
go unnoticed. They then take their first positive step forward
by visiting their doctor who prescribes the majority of
mild arthritis patients with anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain killers. This is all well and good, numbing the
symptoms so that the patient can continue with their everyday
lives with reduced pain and suffering. However, painkillers
don't tackle the underlying cause and makes no attempt to
cure the crippling disease. As a result the patient has
virtually no chance of getting better.
NSAIDs and aspirin are known to impair cartilage
repair - Merck manual, and can also cause ulceration and
gastrointestinal irritation. These drugs interfere with
the absorption of vitamins and minerals that are so important
to an arthritis sufferer and thus robbing their body of
the chance to get better.
Recovery is a slow road that can take months
before you experience the true benefits, but consider the
alternative; imagine for the rest of your life you suffer
uncontrollable excruciating pain, inflammation, stiffness,
restricted mobility, and regular visits to your doctor who
will prescribe you with drugs to block the pain and reduce
the swelling temporarily. The drugs will do very little
to address the underlying causes of the condition. Slowly
but surely, your arthritis will progress and get much worse,
so stronger drugs are prescribed to numb the pain. Damage
in and around the bone and joints continue, leading to chronic
arthritis and permanent damage.
If you act early enough, then you may be able
to achieve complete recovery. On the other hand if your
joints have already suffered considerable damage then this
book will still be able to help, by preventing further progression
of the disease and reduce the aches and pains you currently
suffer, enabling you to enjoy a better quality of life.
More information is available in our new book! Click here to find out more.