May is Arthritis Awareness Month. We often hear the word “arthritis” but what is it and how can we prevent it, or treat it? While many types of arthritis exist, it is possible to improve quality of life through a variety of means. To find out, read on.
What is Arthritis?
The term “arthritis is used to describe over 100 different kinds of joint pain or joint disease. It affects people in all age ranges, races and genders and is “the leading cause of disability in America” according to the Arthritis Foundation. Women and the elderly are more likely to suffer with arthritis, but 50 million adults and 300,000 children are affected by the disease.
Typical arthritis symptoms are: swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. These symptoms from moderate to severe and they may come and go at random. Some symptoms get progressively worse over time, some remain stable. These symptoms often result in pain and limit movement. Sometimes arthritis is visible, often manifesting in knobby finger joints, but at times it can only be viewed on a x-ray, especially if it affects the skin, heart, eyes, lungs, or kidneys.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis, typically called Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), occurs when a healthy immune system malfunctions. Normally, our immune system creates inflammation to cure an infection. RA occurs when the immune system begins attacking joints with inflammation. This often causes joint erosion and, in some cases, internal organ damage. RA usually has a genetic component as well as an environmental component. RA is an auto immune disorder. It can be treated with a variety of approaches including traditional medicine, and holistic and integrative therapies like an auto-immune diet, cold laser therapy, exercise, and alkaline water.
Prevent and Control
One of the reasons inflammation can occur is from acidity in the body. In order to reduce inflammation, lower your body’s acidity level with alkaline water. In addition to removing toxins from your body, our water will help balance your body’s ph. The more alkaline your body, the less likely arthritis is to affect your body. You can read more about our water and inflammation in our April 2018 article: How Alkaline Water Reduces Inflammation.
Cold Laser Therapy, also called Low-Level Laser Therapy, was introduced almost 40 years ago in order to deal with the effects of Osteoarthritis. However, studies over the years have been inconclusive about the effects of LLLT on arthritis. One study in the Journal of Rheumatology in August 2000 showed that “rheumatoid arthritis patients who had laser therapy saw a 70% reduction in pain compared to the placebo group.” They reported improvement in morning stiffness and hand flexibility, but no improvement in joint function, range of motion, or joint swelling. For more information on Cold Laser Therapy see our June 2017 article: Cold Laser Treatment–What Is It?
Leading a healthy, active lifestyle and reducing inflammation in the body are some of the best ways to keep arthritis at bay. Once symptoms do appear, mindfully treating them with your doctor and holistic practices can help keep you active and reduce or eliminate pain.
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