Arthritis Pain Relief

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刮砂 Gua Sha


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Gua Sha is a healing technique used in Asia by practitioners of Traditional Medicine, in both the clinical setting and in homes, but little known in the West. It involves palpation and cutaneous stimulation where the skin is pressured, in strokes, by a round-edged instrument; that results in the appearance of small red petechiae called ‘sha’, that will fade in 2 to 3 days.

Raising Sha removes blood stagnation considered pathogenic, promoting normal circulation and metabolic processes.The patient experiences immediate relief from pain, stiffness, fever, chill, cough, nausea, and so on. Gua Sha is valuable in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious illness, upper respiratory and digestive problems, and many other acute or chronic disorders.

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Soothing, natural sounds of trickling water, calming music and the comforting smells of mint and lavender fill the two spa treatment rooms at the IronWorks Gym.
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by djfrantic

The Many Forms Of Arthritis

Arthritis is not just a single type but there are more than one hundred conditions. It is literally known as the inflammation of the joints. Due to various circumstances, the deterioration of the body joints lead to a condition, which we will refer to as arthritis. Arthritis is the foremost cause of senior citizens disability; especially those that are pass the age of sixty-five years old. It is the assumption of many conditions and the cause for different conditions varies.

Arthritis affliction can be extremely painful but some are more so than others. Arthritis usually forms from a known cause and they can be swelling on the knees joints. The hands and the knees are the most commonly affected joints. Fatigue, the inflammation of the membrane at the joints and ligaments as well as tendons is some of the symptoms that cause the pain. Most people are usually afflicted with more than two forms of arthritis.

One widespread symptom is that most will suffer from varying degrees of pain and the pain differs from condition to condition. The most common symptoms exhibited are stiffness, swelling, limited mobility to one or more joints and pain, which can be extreme. If the symptoms last for over two weeks, then there is a need to seek the advice of a physician to diagnose it and seek immediate treatment.

Two of the most common arthritis is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoathritis will normally result in pain at night or just after you have taken a rest. On the other hand rheumatoid arthritis, which is the most incapacitating and painful of all will result in pain in the morning and when you are afflicted initially. Senior citizens and children who are afflicted with arthritis usually don’t suffer from distinct pain but their mobility will usually be limited or the afflicted limbs will lose its function.

Besides osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, other forms of arthritis are ankylosing spondylitis, Still’s disease or juvenile arthritis, septic, gout in addition to psedudogout. There are many choices in treating arthritis and it all hinges on the conditions, arthroplasty as well as medications. In the most severe cases, the physician will fix a prosthetic joint as they are very reliable and those who try them are usually more than satisfied.

Although no specific arthritis is known as hand arthritis but swelling as well as pain occurring in the hand, fingers and wrist is the result of different types of arthritis, for instant rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the main cause of hand arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is due to aging and with loss of water in the joint; friction is formed. The cartilage will wear out as a result and with that, the bone will rub against each other, resulting in pain and swelling in the hand, thus hand arthritis.

Many older citizens suffer from knee arthritis, which can take the form of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic arthritis. The pain from knee arthritis can give rise to depression in older people. Knee arthritis is the result of the gradual swelling of the knee joint and will get worst with lack of exercise.

Arthritis has been noted to exist way back to roughly 4500 BC when it was found in humans but there are proofs that even dinosaurs have contracted ankle osteoarthritis. Arthritis was also found in the skeletal remains of Native Americans of Tennessee and certain areas of the present Olathe in Kansas.

There are further evidences to point out that mummy in the times of Otzi, way back in 3000 BC contracted it and the first known cure appear to be the willow bark and it goes back to 500 BC. In the present era, it is known that more than a trillion tablets of aspirin are sold throughout the world to ease the suffering of patients.

Some of those patients with slight pain just require Tylenol, which does not require prescription, and when the pain arises, they just pop it. But others who are afflicted with severe pain might need physician to prescribe cortisone injections to the sore joints. Narcotic drugs can be used to relieve the pain as well. On the other hand, there are also pain management clinics. The treatment for arthritis is to manage it, as there is no known cure. Advances in medical science have make arthritis more manageable.

Patient has had sciatic pain for the past three years. She describes a deep pain that starts low on one side of the back and then shoots down the buttocks and the knees. The pain is usually worse with prolonged sitting and standing. Patient has been experiencing bilateral knee the past 16 years. She also had had hip pain for the past three years. She has arthritis in both of her hands. She has been experiencing anxiety since 1987. After the first NBE treatment, her pain was greatly improved, she could bend her knees without pain, and walk without her cane.
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by kyerabianca

The Basics of Rheumatoid Arthritis

According to the Arthritis Foundation, an estimated 67 million Americans will have some form of arthritis by 2030. Arthritis is a general term that refers to a condition that causes inflammation in a joint, which is characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain within the joint.

Specifically, rheumatoid arthritis is a type of chronic arthritis that normally occurs in joints on both sides of the body, such as hands, wrists, or knees. The symmetry of this condition helps to distinguish it from other types of arthritis. In addition to affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis may also affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood, or nerves.

The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include joint pain and swelling, stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods, and fatigue. Affecting about 1 percent of the U.S. population, most people experience joint symptoms which develop gradually over several years. However, for some rheumatoid arthritis can progress rapidly, or it may strike for a limited period of time and then enter a period of remission. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men, but men tend to be more severely affected by the disease.

The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. However, it is believed to be due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system is triggered to attack the joints and sometimes the organs. Theories have suggested that a virus or bacteria may alter the immune system, causing it to attack the joints. While research has not been able to determine exactly what role genetics play, some patients do seem to have a genetic or inherited factor that increases their chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Once the immune system is triggered, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis begins to produce inflammatory substances within his or her joints. An increase in the number of cells and the inflammatory substances within the joints cause irritation, a wearing down of the cartilage, and swelling and inflammation in the joint lining. Inflammation within the joint lining causes it to produce excessive joint fluid within the joint.

With the wearing down of cartilage, bones can begin to rub against one another. As the joint lining expands, it can invade or erode into adjacent bone causing bone damage. This also causes the joints to become painful and warm to the touch.

Physicians diagnose rheumatoid arthritis based on a number of factors including:

1. The specific location and symmetry of painful joints, especially in the hands.

2. The presence of joint stiffness in the morning.

3. The presence of bumps and nodules under the skin

4. Results of x-ray tests that suggest rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Positive results of a blood test called the rheumatoid factor.

Recent major studies have indicated the dramatic benefits of early treatment with rheumatoid arthritis medication. Early intensive treatment with a combination of medications offers a chance of remission. In comparison to 20 years ago, studies show that those who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis today are receiving more aggressive treatment, and require fewer joint replacement surgeries than their predecessors.

“When you begin these treatments early on,” said Eric Matteson, rheumatologist MD, Mayo Clinic, “you are less likely to develop erosive disease in the joints, and less likely to develop other related conditions such as lung disease, vasculitis, and pericarditis, all of which are major contributors to early mortality in people with rheumatoid arthritis.”

However, plenty of data also suggests that even a late diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can be effective. It’s never too early, and never too late,” said Theodore Fields, MD, FACP, clinical director of the Gosden-Robinson Early Arthritis Center at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. “There’s plenty of data that even treating late does help.”

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