Written by This is the question every person with arthritis would like to know, and up to 75 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis believe that yes your diet does either make your joints feel better or worse however when I asked Dr. Hadler, a professor of medicine and microbiology-immunology at the University of North Carolina he said, “There’s no compelling data that generalizes all patients.”
In this article I would like to focus on rheumatoid arthritis- did you know there are over 100 different types of arthritis? It’s true and this disease is not just limited to those in their senior years. Arthritis is the swelling of joints causing pain, stiffness and or limited movement. Osteoarthritis is pain and stiffness in the body rheumatoid arthritis is pain, stiffness, and the joints are inflamed. When you have rheumatoid arthritis the inflamed joints release chemicals called cytokines that cause the whole body to feel fatigue, stillness and often the body will run a fever.
If you wake up in the morning to a body stiff and sore that doesn’t dissipate in just a few minutes and it’s not because of a strenuous workout the day before, or if you notice creaking joints, difficulty walking up or down stairs you could have Osteoarthritis.
Oatmeal and nuts are a greet way to add high soluble fiber, mono and polyunsaturated fats which your body needs to stay strong and flexible.
Your doctor will have options for you, listen carefully and weigh your options: The most common options available for arthritis would be medications such as acetaminophen- a pain reducing medicine, non-steroidal drugs- which take away swelling, or you could be prescribed narcotics if the pain is extreme.
I love what Kermit the frog says, “It’s not easy being green”, but he still is! It’s not easy to arthritis but many of us still do, and no matter how we try it will not go away, however that should not leave us writhing in pain everyday, it actually means we need to listen to our bodies and determine what is going to make us look and feel better now so we have a healthy body now and in the future.
In many cases however the pain is just too great and neither shots nor medications do the trick and that would lead to your next option which would be surgery. Your doctor will let you know if this is a viable option as joint replacement surgery is more invasive than a shot or physical therapy. In joint replacement, typically the knee or hip joints are replaced with plastic and metal devices called prostheses, if you are not comfortable with prostheses’ there is the option of trying to realign the bones. This surgical procedure is where a surgeon will cut above or below the knee to realign the leg making the body shift your body weight away from the worn-out part of your joint- typically a knee joint.
What ever option you choose you should be aware of all the options you have available to you and what the benefits would be should you choose a certain procedure however in every case there is also the “what if’s” so make sure to ask a lot of questions and do as much research as you can especially if you decide to have surgery.
Get the help you need from a leading advocate with Social Service Coordinators, and start saving money today!
Recent Comments