Children experiencing arthritis from spending too much time using technology

By Brian Feldman

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV.com) - A local orthopedic surgeon is noticing a physical problem developing with kids using technology that stems beyond issues with communicating with people without using technology.
Children are getting early stages of arthritis from texting and playing video games too much.“They come in with stiffness.  They come in with a little bit of arthritis and it just progresses,” Dr. Rick Lehman of the U.S. Center for Sports Medicine said. “So now they’re 20 or 21-years-old and all of a sudden they’ve had four to five years of wrist pain, a little bit of swelling." 
“We’re treating these kids like we were treating 50-year-olds with overuse arthritis.”
Dr. Lehman says the youngest he’s heard of complaining about wrist and joint problems due to technology is 10-years-old.
“That’s really not surprising at all.  When you think about the amount of time they are on their phone – if they’re using technology and add up all those hours – it’s a ton,” Ty Cochran said. “As a teacher, I see it all the time in the classroom.  It’s just constant.  If they have any free time at all it’s go to your phone right away.”
“You would think about that stuff when you’re 40 or in your 50s.  That’s when you start paying attention to it.  Not when you’re 12-years old,” Asmaa Hashimi said.
Dr. Lehman believes this is a parental problem for allowing children to be on their phones too much.  He says it is clearly an addiction because if you told kids they could not play their games or text they would get upset.

The orthopedic surgeon says he has patients who are using technology for 10 or 12 hours a day.  Dr. Lehman recommends far less than that from a health standpoint.
“If you look at the numbers, (it’s) probably two hours a day,” Lehman says. “But there are kids who text two hours a day.  There are kids who do a thousand texts a day.  I think two hours is probably the safest.”

http://www.kmov.com/story/32339554/children-experiencing-arthritis-from-spending-too-much-time-using-technology

Walnuts boost for women: How natural snacks can fight back against arthritis and heart disease in old age

From dailymail.co.uk

Diets rich in walnuts and oranges can reduce risk of age-related disease

They are rich in fatty acids that treat illnesses that impair mobility

Research carried out in Boston, US, after diets of 55,000 women analysed 

Drinking orange juice and eating pears and walnuts could help women reduce the risk of impaired mobility in their later years. 

Researchers in Boston, Massachusetts, analysed the diets of 55,000 women over a period of 30 years and found that those who maintained a healthy diet were less likely to develop physical impairments.

In particular, women whose diets included a higher intake of oranges, orange juice, apples and pears, leaf lettuce and walnuts ran a lower risk than others, according to the study.

Walnuts contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, used to treat mobility related illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease.

Meanwhile, scientists are claiming that eating broccoli three times a week could help cut the risk of a coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3659735/Walnuts-boost-women-natural-snacks-fight-against-arthritis-heart-disease-old-age.html

 

Dealing with arthritis: How to reduce its impact in the workplace

From plant.ca

Arthritis affects workers in all walks of life. Common symptoms such as pain, fatigue, joint swelling, stiffness and limited movement, make it difficult to perform any job.

The Arthritis Society of Canada cites it as one of the leading causes of disability in Canada and it typically occurs during the prime working years, between ages 35 to 50. More than half of the 4.6 million affected by the disease are younger than 65 and more than 7 million adults will be diagnosed over the next 20 years.
Modifying the way sufferers do their work helps to reduce the adverse effects of the disease. Pass along these tips to workers:
Modify the work environment. Organize the workspace so frequently used items are within easy reach. Workers should stand square to the workstation to avoid bending or twisting. A footrest decreases pressure on the lower back and an anti-fatigue mat relieves strain while standing for long periods on hard floors. A chair mat makes sliding or turning a chair easier.
Maintain a good posture. Sit in a proper upright, relaxed position to avoid strain on the back, neck or limbs. Hips, knees, ankles and elbows should be at a 90-degree angle. Place arm rests at the right height, with shoulders and elbows in a relaxed position. A properly adjusted chair provides good support to the back and legs.
For those using a computer. A split keyboard puts hands, wrists and forearms in a more natural position, and a trackball mouse reduces hand and arm movement. Place the chair within a comfortable distance from the computer with elbows in a relaxed 90-degree angle to the keyboard. Eyes should be about 40 to 70 centimetres from the monitor, which is at eye level.
Be careful when moving or lifting. Use a dolly or cart to help reduce back, arm and leg strain. Try to roll or slide heavy objects. Push, don’t pull. Don’t rush. Ask a co-worker for assistance. Use a step stool to reach items that are on high shelves, and use a briefcase on wheels when taking work home or to a meeting.
Wear appropriate shoes or boots. Footwear should support feet and promote good posture. Avoid high heels. Insoles help decrease strain on feet, legs and lower back.
Take care of yourself. Getting enough sleep, a healthy diet and exercising regularly mitigates the effects of arthritis. Work at a moderate, reasonable pace and get extra rest before important events. Alternate between sitting, standing and walking as much as possible and take stretch breaks. Keep moving.

http://www.plant.ca/features/dealing-with-arthritis/

Diagnosed with arthritis in your 30s

From bbc.co.uk

BBC TV news and radio presenter Julian Worricker wonders if his reactions to arthritic pain might sometimes give studio guests the wrong impression.

 

"I wonder to this day what the Chancellor, George Osborne thought when his handshake caused me to wince. Maybe he is living under the illusion that he is stronger than he thinks, in which case I might have done him a favour.
He had come in to the News Channel studio to be interviewed on a day when I was having a bad outbreak of arthritis. Any movement in my right hand or wrist was extremely painful.
In my job, you have to do quite a lot of glad-handing. I have to welcome guests into the studio and make them feel comfortable, even if I know I am about to ask them some searching questions. That means a friendly smile and a polite indication as to where I would like them to sit. In addition, of course, it means a warm shake of the hand. These are all gestures which most of us take for granted, and do not have to plan for unless, like me, you have to deal with the pain of arthritis.
I have had the condition for more than 15 years in its present form. In my teens and early 20s I had the skin condition psoriasis. The red, scaly patches associated with it were mainly on my knees, elbows and scalp. It runs in my family so it was not an enormous surprise when I got it too.

When joint pain followed several years later, I was told that in roughly a fifth of cases of people with psoriasis, arthritis can develop later in life. According to the NHS website, both conditions are thought to occur because of the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissue, but it is not clear why some people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis and others do not.
Stupid little everyday tasks became an issue. These, I stress, are not life-changing, nor am I in any way overlooking the fact that many people with arthritis have it far worse than I do, but when you've been used to getting dressed, cleaning your teeth and combing your hair without giving it a second thought it's not great when that trio of morning essentials suddenly hurts.
On bad nights, I would struggle to sleep due to pins and needles. I could wear a splint if I chose to but I resisted it if at all possible because it was as uncomfortable as the condition I was trying to alleviate.
The condition quickly developed as a problem affecting my wrists, hands and fingers. It gave me near constant pain - dull some days, sharp on others. My fingers would change shape too, sometimes over the course of only a few days.
These visible signs helped, in a way, because they were evidence of a condition and not me just talking about pain. To put it crudely, if something is hurting, then people want to be able to see physical signs that it's hurting.
For years, I had played golf (very badly) but now could no longer grip the club because it either hurt too much or my fingers simply could not wrap themselves around the shaft properly. Yes, I now had an excuse for some eye-wateringly bad scores, but it was an excuse I could have done without.
More troubling was the piano. I have played since I was five, reached a pretty good standard in my teens, and was genuinely anxious that I might not be able to play it any more. On bad days, it was painful to use my little finger - the striking of a loud bass note is not supposed to be accompanied by the kind of wince I displayed to George Osborne.
However, recently things have improved, and I am virtually pain-free.
I remember the conversation with my specialist vividly. "How do you feel about self-injecting?" he asked. I have never had a problem with needles, so I tried to reply with casual confidence. He promised I would be given a quick lesson. I don't use a bare needle, I have a plastic pen-type gadget which I hold against a fatty piece of skin, and then press a button. A drug called Humira then goes into my system.
I should stress that, a) I am not a doctor, b) Humira does not, I am told, work for everyone and c) it can have side effects. I still combine the fortnightly injections with a very small dose of methotrexate which helps with inflammation, taken in tablet form, and that combination means I need to have regular blood tests to make sure my liver is not being adversely affected. My immune system is slightly less robust as a result of Humira, so that needs watching, and I have had cellulitis - a troublesome infection.
On a day-to-day basis now though I barely suffer arthritic pain any more. I can get washed and dressed without having to think about awkward hand and wrist movements, I can play a loud chord on the piano and risk only upsetting the neighbours, and I can even take on a round of golf, still with eye-wateringly high scores, obviously, but no longer with a medical excuse for them.
So the next time the chancellor pops in to a TV or radio studio and I am there to greet him, I can promise him a relaxed and grimace-free hello. Viewers and listeners may choose to wince, depending on their political persuasions, but for me it will be an enjoyably painless encounter."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-36460378

Longer working hours bad for women & good for men, study says

From rt.com

Working more than 40 hours a week could mean serious health problems for women, like higher chances of cancer or heart diseases, a new study claims. The effect on men’s health appears to be quite the opposite, though.
Scientists from the Ohio State University analyzed interviews by a little less than 7,500 people given to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth over 32 years (in between 1978 and 2009) to come to their conclusions.
They were in particular looking into their answers on average weekly working hours as well as diseases, particularly these eight: heart condition, non-skin cancer, arthritis, diabetes, chronic lung disease, asthma, chronic depression, and hypertension.
The results of the analysis were published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The negative effects can go unnoticed first, however, if a woman spends more than 40 hours per week at work, she already starts putting her health at risk, the scientists say. It significantly increases with more than 50-hour workweek. When the number of hours spent at work averages 60 hours or more, the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and arthritis grows threefold.
“People don’t think that much about how their early work experiences affect them down the road,” Allard Dembe, professor of health services management and policy and lead author of the study, said as cited by ScienceDaily.
“Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s are setting themselves up for problems later in life,” he added.
Interestingly enough, men also working longer hours (41 to 50 hours weekly) were found more prone to only one disease – arthritis. Their predisposition to other types of health problems appeared to be significantly less than in their not so laborious peers.
Such a big difference between the genders may be explained by the fact that women’s responsibilities more often go beyond their professional activities. Apart from pursuing career goals, they also do the housekeeping which only adds up to stress, the study says. Work for women can be less satisfying because of the constant need to balance between family and career.
“Women – especially women who have to juggle multiple roles – feel the effects of intensive work experiences and that can set the table for a variety of illnesses and disability,” Dembe said.
However, the study doesn’t not distinguish between workaholics, enjoying overwork, and those who are forced to bear more burden.
In 2015 a study, conducted by the Harvard and Stanford Business School, found that job stress leads to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, decreased mental health and even contributes to the deaths of 120,000 Americans a year.

https://www.rt.com/news/347295-women-work-diseases-study/

Getting to grips with arthritis research

By Alison Cuff

This is Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness week. It is hosted by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society with the aim of increasing awareness of the early signs of the condition and how the society can help and support people who have recently been diagnosed. Inspired by their great work,  ISRCTN Registry and Arthritis Research and Therapy Journal have combined forces to investigate just some of the recent clinical research into both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints, causing them to become red, swollen, stiff and painful. Over time, the condition worsens leading to damage to the joint, cartilage and surrounding bone. It can also lead to complications such as carpel tunnel syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cervical myelopathy.
The disease can be triggered by a number of factors, such as following on from an infection or trauma. My mother was diagnosed with it in her early 30s, after a fall from her bike lead to tearing a ligament and damaging the cartilage in her knee.
Just to make things more interesting, she was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis about 10 years ago. Like rheumatoid arthritis, this condition can also cause joints to become stiff, swollen and painful, but the cause is different. In fact, it’s not clear why it happens, only that it is more likely to develop, for example, in people who are older, obese, have had a joint injury in the past or have other conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
I’ve watched my mother becoming less mobile over the years and seen how her condition impacts on the quality of her life. She can no longer knit, as her hands are now too gnarled and twisted, she can walk outside only with the aid of a rollator, and she had to have hip replacement surgery in her early 50s. To celebrate Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness week, the ISRCTN registry and Arthritis Research and Therapy journal have teamed up to explore just some of the research being done to help people like my mum.

Early birds get to feel better

It is important to diagnose and start treating rheumatoid arthritis as soon as possible, as this may help prevent the condition from getting worse and reduce the likelihood of joint damage or complications.
For example, the results of the IMPROVED-study have recently been published, showing that early treatment with methotrexate and prednisone resulted in almost 50% of patients being in remission after two years and a further 21% not needing any drug treatment at all. Another recent study, registered with the ISRCTN registry, has been investigating whether a web-based monitoring system for recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis is an effective way of controlling the disease, the system allowing doctors to manage their patients’ condition remotely.
Unfortunately, by the time symptoms occur, osteoarthritis is already at an advanced stage; the disease itself having developed silently over many years. However, this provides a significant window of opportunity to treat joint problems before osteoarthritis becomes too severe. For example, Arthritis Research and Therapy published a paper back in 2012 that described advances in imaging and biochemical biomarkers and how they can be used to aid early diagnosis and treatment of pre-osteoarthritic conditions. And an ongoing study is looking at whether a seven day inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation program involving group exercise classes, individually tailored exercise programmes, and one-to-one physiotherapy sessions will lead to an improvement in pre-arthritic hip pain and hip joint function among young UK military personnel.

It’s not all about pain killers

Drug treatments for arthritis can be split into two main groups – those that treat the symptoms (such as pain) and those that help to reduce the root cause – the inflammation.
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS) are commonly used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis. They include rituximab, etanercept, and tocilizumab; they all work in different ways to reduce inflammation of the joints. Currently, patients are treated with these drugs on a trial and error basis to see which works best. The STRAP study, however, is investigating whether examining the joint (synovial) tissue can predict which DMARD individual patients are most likely to respond to.
Over time, osteoarthritis causes damage to cartilage, a connective tissue that covers the surface of the bone and allows the joints to move easily. This cartilage becomes progressively more damaged and may become thin or completely worn away. Over time, this can place the bone under increasing stress, leading to a stress fracture; these show up as soft spots, or lesions, with the bone marrow. Strontium ranelate is a drug that inhibits the activity of osteoclasts, cells that break down bone tissue while increasing the activity of osteoblasts, cells that make new bone tissue. Results of a study comparing strontium ranelate to a placebo was published last year, which showed that it can reduce the amount of cartilage lost and bone marrow lesions in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

Brace-up: feet are made for walking

About 90% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have problems with their feet. These range from a general soreness and swelling, to serious damage to the joints and changes to the shape of the foot. My mother’s feet have been so badly affected, she has had to have three operations to try and relieve the symptoms.
Thankfully, not every patient is faced with such drastic measures. Feet orthoses, in-shoe braces designed to support the feet and improve posture, can be used to help rheumatoid arthritis sufferers with foot problems. Researchers from the University of East London are looking at whether an off-the-shelf foot orthosis can be as effective at alleviating foot pain for people who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a specially customized foot orthosis.

Going under the knife

Unfortunately, both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis often cause such severe damage to joints that surgery is required, for example, hip or knee replacement surgery.
A hip replacement involves removal of the damaged hip joint and femur. An artificial socket is then fitted into the hollow of the pelvis and a short metal shaft (or stem) inserted into the thigh bone. Unfortunately, around one in ten hip replacements fail, often due to the stem becoming loose within the thigh bone. University College London Hospital is currently assessing the stability of two different types of hip replacement stems using radiostereometric analysis, a highly accurate, 3D method of looking at whether there has been a loosening of the artificial joint.
There are two main types of knee replacement surgery; total knee replacement, where the entire joint is replaced with an artificial one and partial (half) knee replacement, where only half of the joint is replaced. The lower part (tibial component) of an artificial knee joint is usually a flat, metal platform with a cushion made from polyethene (plastic) laid on the top of the tibia (shinbone). Some designs, however, don’t use a metal platform, using an all-polyethene tibial component instead. This study is comparing a total knee replacement with a metal-backed tibia component with one that has an all-polyethylene tibia component.

Ending on a personal note

When I asked Mum about how arthritis affects her she said: “It can be very frustrating not to do things that you want to, but you have to adjust and live with it”.
Happily, thanks to some drug and lifestyle changes (losing weight and doing gentle exercise), her mobility issues have recently improved. And, hopefully, with increasing awareness of the condition and further research, sufferers like her won’t have to “live with” the effects of arthritis in the future. Perhaps some won’t have to stop knitting cardigans for their family.

http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-medicine/2016/06/13/getting-grips-arthritis-research/

Rheumatoid arthritis risk increases with repetitive physical workload: Study

By Devon Andre

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) risk increases with repetitive physical workload, according to research. Previously, prolonged work-related physical activity has been linked to osteoarthritis in some joints.
For the study, the researchers looked at self-reported information from 3,680 rheumatoid arthritis patients along with 5,935 controls.
Miss Pingling Zeng of the Institute of Environmental Medicine said, “We found that some types of physical workload increased the odds of developing RA more than others. There also appeared to be a significant interaction between genetic makeup, in terms of HLA-DRB1 genes, and the risk of ACPA-positive RA from specific types of physical workload.”
The estimated odds ratio of developing rheumatoid arthritis in participants exposed to the repetitive workload vs. unexposed participants was equal to or greater than 1.5. Certain types of manual labor were at an increased risk – for example, in construction industry, manual work above the shoulder level or below the knee level in construction.
Miss Zeng concluded, “These new insights into the cause of RA may hopefully lead to effective strategies to prevent the development of RA, particularly in those RA patients with a susceptible genotype.”

Rheumatoid arthritis and the ability to perform physical work

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling, and even disfiguration. As rheumatoid arthritis progresses, it can limit a person’s ability to perform physical work.
Possible occupational adjustments depend on your age. For example, if you perform physical labour and are close to the retirement, you may be able to just go on disability. If you are younger, your work may have to be modified so that you are still able to maintain your job.
Rheumatoid arthritis not only affects physical labour, but sedentary jobs as well. Although sedentary work doesn’t require you to lift, stand, or bend, rheumatoid arthritis can still impact a person’s ability to stay seated for longer periods of time and to maintain fine motor skills – one of the main targets of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis and physical capacity

Rheumatoid arthritis medications allow patients to continue working for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, the medication cannot cure the disease, and in many patients the disease continues to progress, resulting in more pain and deformity and preventing them from performing their job.
Even with the use of medications, pain and fatigue can still take place throughout the day, limiting your physical capacity, and so you may your work aptitude varying daily, or even hourly.
It’s important that you work with your doctor and employer to identify work tasks suitable for your condition and maybe even adjust your work schedule, enabling you to perform most of your work during times when you feel your best.
If you are unable to continue working, then you may qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD). To apply, you must show that you’re unable to maintain substantial, gainful employment due to your condition. Even if you can work for limited time periods, you may still qualify for SSD if you cannot meet financial requirements to cover the costs for everyday living.
Detailed medical documentation along with statements from doctors and employers will help you demonstrate that you are unfit for work. The more medical evidence you can offer, the better.

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-risk-increases-with-repetitive-physical-workload-study/

Suffer from arthritis? Here's how your own fat could ease your pain

By Lisa Antao

Injecting it could ease the pain of arthritis, finds a recent trial. Experts give their take.

It is a known fact that being overweight is a major risk factor for many forms of arthritis. According to a trial conducted in Saudi Arabia, injecting your own fat into the joints could ease the pain of arthritis. Yes, you read that right. We asked experts here, if this could be the next big thing.

The trial

According to a new claim by surgeons, injecting fat into the joints might be a way to reduce the pain of arthritis. In this trial, 100 patients with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis are being given these jabs. Apparently, doing so provides lubrication inside the joints, thereby improving function and lowering pain and stiffness.
Here, a small amount of fat is taken from the patients body, which is selected according to their own wishes and availability of fat. The fat is obtained and prepared, then injected into the joint cavity of the osteoarthritic knee. Patients are discharged soon afterwards with antibiotics and painkillers, and later followed up to check for lowering of pain and stiffness and improvement in joint function. The treatment options for osteoarthritis are limited, usually focussed on relieving pain, improving mobility of the joint, and in severe cases, joint-replacement surgery.
Lead researcher of the study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, said, “Like a car gearbox, joints work best when they have good levels of lubrication, and it is normally provided by synovial, a thick gel-like material. In osteoarthritis sufferers, one element of this fluid, hyaluronic acid, does not work properly. Some research suggests improving lubrication with injections of hyaluronic acid. We believe a simple injection of fat will improve chronic osteoarthritis. We are using the self-lubricating effect of patients’ own fat to improve function and reduce pain.” The trial results will be reported in the British Medical Journal in December.

Expert speak

So do our experts see potential in this form of treatment and could this be the new way to treat arthritis? Dr Mudit Khanna, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital says “There is no basis or studies which recommend this method. Yes, abdominal fat is taken from which mesenchymal stem cells are obtained. These cells are capable of regenerating cartilage, and are then injected into the joints. The procedures are still be studied and investigated. I don’t think it’s possible to take abdominal fat and just inject it into the knee or joints, it’s not that simple as it sounds. This is just one trial, there are no studies to support this.”
Dr Sachin Bhat, Orthopaedic Surgeon, SRV Hospital, opines that it can hold potential but it would not be wise to comment on the good or the bad because not much research has been done on this. “There are many unanswered questions like exactly how the procedure is done, fat from different parts of the body is different. Also, synovial fluid in the joints is made up of proteins and how fat will react to it, whether there are chances of infections. There’s no research done yet on its effects on the cellular level. It’s just a trial on 100 people, so it’s difficult to say anything. Personally, I don’t think it will work.”
The above mentioned trial holds potential believes Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Stem cell Transplant surgeon, Stem Rx Hospital. It gives an insight to find healing power within our own tissues to treat different diseases. “Mesenchymal stem cells are found along capillaries in fat tissue. When cells from fat tissue are isolated, Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) is obtained which improves lubrication of the joints. Thus, use of fat tissue for management of arthritis is a promising approach that utilises the regenerative potential of cells to treat damaged joint structures.” He further adds that cells from fat tissue have anti-inflammatory property which reduces joint swelling and subsequently pain. Additionally, as mentioned above, SVF along with a biological scaffold can prevent progression of the condition and regenerate cartilage and ligaments in the joint. Even advanced cases of arthritis can benefit from fat injections.
Has this been tried in India and are there any challenges associated with this form of treatment? “Yes, the treatment is being done in India with exciting outcomes. However, as with any treatment, the challenges lie in patient selection, presence of morbid conditions, stage of the disease and recovery period. Nevertheless, in principle, this technique is a breakthrough discovery for all forms of arthritis,” adds Dr Mahajan.

http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-fat-to-the-rescue-arthritis-joints-pain-2222527

Here’s how to how to enjoy summer, even with arthritis

By Dr Emmanuel Dizon

Summertime is here, and with it all the flowers, more daylight and pleasant temperatures. While this can bring about many healthful activities put on hold during the winter and chilly spring months – such as gardening, walking, bicycling and just spending time outside – it can also trigger arthritic pain in the joints. This can be true for those with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, and those with other types of chronic joint pain.

Why does the warmer weather impact joint pain? Increases in temperature, humidity and barometric pressure can all impact arthritis or ongoing joint pain. So how can you enjoy all the fun summertime has to offer without these inflammatory issues interfering? It takes conscious decisions and some concessions but it is possible.

Why weather impacts arthritis

When the weather changes, particularly in the form of increases in temps and humidity, the fluid in the joints can also be impacted, producing inflammation. This can impact the tendons, ligaments and muscles in people with arthritis or those with chronic joint pain that is not attributed to arthritis. The sensory nerves in our joints respond to this inflammation, which is the pain you feel.

Over time, and as the weather stabilizes – whether it is consecutive cool or consecutive hot days – there can be a reduction in inflammation. But when the temps begin to rise or fall, inflammation can hit again as it responds to the change in temperature and/or humidity.
Another key instigator in joint pain is barometric pressure. Simplistically put, barometric pressure is the weight of the air. When the barometric pressure increases or decreases, studies show it can cause tissue already inflamed in the joints to further expand. This, of course, leads to more pain. We all know people who say they can predict a storm coming by the way their joints feel. This is likely due to a rise or drop in barometric pressure and how it impacts the inflammation in their joints.

It is important to point out that weather may indeed impact the severity of arthritis pain, but it is not considered to be a contributing factor to the actual development of arthritis.

Strategies to lessen the effects of weather on arthritis

When high temps or high humidity hit, you can either focus on enduring the impact of the weather on your arthritis or try some strategies to see how they feel and work with you. Here are some things to try when the weather starts to impact your mobility.

• Use your air conditioning. While we cannot control the weather outside, we can control our indoor environment. If you have air conditioning, use it during hot, humid days. For this to be effective, it is important to keep all windows closed. Even keeping one window open a crack to allow for some fresh air will allow the humidity to seep into your house and into your joints. In this case, it’s not so much about the heat/temperature in your house, but the amount of humidity. Along this same vein, when it is particularly hot and humid, limit your time outside. If you like to exercise outside, shoot for a morning or evening workout when the temps and humidity tend to be a bit easier to handle.

• Wear comfortable clothes. Keeping your body cool and comfortable is very important for your joints. Avoid wearing clothes that are restrictive or make it harder for you to move freely. Clothes made of cotton tend to allow body heat to leave, keeping you cooler. This means your joints will remain cooler as well.

• Drinks lots of fluids. Our joints need lubrication. We can help them by drinking fluids every day. Water is the best option, but decaffeinated iced tea or decaffeinated iced coffee are other good options. It’s also best to keep a few bottles of a sports drink such as Gatorade in the refrigerator in case you overdo it outside and need to replenish your electrolytes in a hurry. If you are the type of person who just doesn’t like drinking water or other non-caffeinated beverages, do your best. You can also supplement with juicy fruits such as watermelon, honeydew, grapes or strawberries; or with water-based veggies such as cucumbers, lettuce or tomatoes. Eating produce can supplement your water intake, but shouldn’t be used as your sole method of getting water into your system!

• Immersion therapy. Taking a dip in a cool pool is one of the best things you can do for sore joints in the summer heat. Not only does the water surround and help cool your joints, but the buoyancy of the water allows you to take almost all of the pressure off your joints. Swimming is the perfect exercise for those with arthritis, as you can swim laps for exercise, while allowing your joints a healing environment at the same time. Don’t have access to a pool? Use your tub as relief zone. Fill it with cool water and immerse yourself in it to give your joints a break.

• Stretch. Taking time every day to stretch can go a long way in alleviating joint pain. Not only does it allow for more fluid to reach your inflamed joints, but it can help stretch and build your muscles. Strong muscles can help take some of the pressure off your joints. Yoga and Pilates are great practices that can help you with your flexibility. If you are interested in either of these, it is best to check with your doctor first before embarking on this new exercise routine.
http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2016/06/09/opinion/doc575994811d57f819146070.txt?viewmode=default

Could a tiny SPONGE end the agony of arthritic knees?

By Roger Dobson

Tiny sponges inserted inside the knee joint have been developed as a new way to tackle arthritis. 

They are made from hyaluronic acid, the natural lubricant found in joints, and are impregnated with stem cells extracted from the patient’s own bone marrow to rebuild tissue that has worn away.

In a new trial taking place in Hungary, 200 patients with knee arthritis will have surgery to insert the high-tech sponges or a standard surgical procedure for arthritis in the knee, to see if the cells can repair or reverse damage caused by the condition.

More than a million people each year consult their GP about osteoarthritis — damage in and around a joint.

As a result of wear and tear, the cartilage that lines bones and allows joints to move easily is slowly destroyed.

Unlike other tissue, cartilage is poorly supplied by blood vessels and nerves, inhibiting its ability to heal itself, and it can gradually get worn away.

Painkillers, physiotherapy and steroids are among the treatments available to manage the symptoms, but these do not halt the progress of the disease.

Another option is microfracture surgery, where tiny holes are drilled into the bone ends to stimulate blood supply and the growth of new cartilage. However, this is only suitable for smaller defects — the success rate is thought to be between 60 and 80 per cent.

Many patients will eventually need to have their knee replaced. Each year, more than 40,000 knee replacement operations are carried out in Britain.

Healthy cartilage is kept well-oiled with the help of a thin membrane, the synovium, which produces a lubricating material called synovial fluid.

Hyaluronic acid is a key component of this fluid — people with osteoarthritis have lower levels of hyaluronic acid in the joint.

The new sponge, known as Hyalofast, contains hyaluronic acid derived from fermented bacteria. 

It is put through a chemical reaction known as esterification, which makes it into a solid structure that’s compressible and absorbent like a sponge.

The shape and size of the sponge can be tailored to fit the damaged area using a patient’s knee scans. Several can be cut and stacked to fill deeper holes, too.

Doctors use pinhole surgery — a technique where the incision is even smaller than keyhole surgery — to place the sponge in the knee.

Because of its spongy texture, it fits snugly into the damaged area and expands to fill the hole in the cartilage. At that point, surgeons extract stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow with a needle and feed them into the sponge in the knee.

The sponge dissolves over time and, as it does, it releases hyaluronic acid fluid into the cartilage. This is thought to lubricate the joint to prevent further damage and create ideal conditions to help stem cells grow and develop into new bone tissue.

As the sponge degrades, it is absorbed naturally by the body.

‘It enables patients to regenerate cartilage with the goal of allowing them to avoid or delay total joint replacement,’ say orthopaedic specialists who are carrying out the trial in four hospitals across Budapest, Hungary.

A STUDY carried out with 20 patients at Italy’s Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in 2010 showed the sponge therapy is highly effective, with a near-threefold improvement in symptom scores after two years, according to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

In the new trial, 200 people with knee osteoarthritis will undergo the Hyalofast therapy or microfracture surgery.

Symptoms such as pain and the amount of cartilage repair achieved will be monitored for two years after the procedure.

Commenting on the new approach, Stephen Simpson, the director of research at Arthritis Research UK, says: ‘We’re interested to see the progress of this study and the potential future benefits it might have for people living with arthritis.

‘However, treatments such as this are some way off and more research needs to be done to understand how the potential of stem cells might be harnessed.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3628294/Could-tiny-SPONGE-end-agony-arthritic-knees-Technique-uses-body-s-cells-repair-reverse-damage-joints.html