Supporting a Healthy Diet for Juvenile Arthritis

From juvenilearthritisnews.com

Fad diets for arthritis have recently become popular. People have praised the benefits of cherries and turmeric. Some people insist I needed to cut out processed food completely. One person even reassured me I’d be cured by eating only white vegetables. Over the years, I’ve begun to realize everyone was on the right track but missed the big picture. Diets for people with juvenile arthritis don’t need to consist of only one or two healthy options, they need a variety of nutritious food!

Beware of fad diets

Many websites advertise so-called “arthritis diets” that are free of nightshade vegetables, gluten, dairy, and so many other foods. And while it’s true that some people have found these foods to trigger flares, it’s not the case for everyone. In fact, entirely cutting out these foods may mean your child misses out on important nutrients.
If you’re truly concerned that a certain food group is causing your child’s pain, talk with their rheumatologist about it. Together, you and their doctor can come up with a plan to try an elimination diet safely. This often means either taking supplements or making sure your child eats a lot of new foods to replace nutrients they may be missing. For example, when I tried cutting out milk to see if it helped, my doctor made sure I was taking sufficient vitamin D and calcium.

Supplements

While cutting out some foods might be helpful for some, it’s important that all children and teenagers with JA get enough vitamins and minerals. Many children with JA struggle with bone loss caused by the disease and certain medicines. Among other things, vitamin D and calcium are critical in helping kids protect their bones!
Care teams commonly prescribe supplements for kids with juvenile arthritis. While parents might not be too keen on them, they can be extremely helpful. In this day and age, it can be hard to maintain a proper diet, especially for a picky eater. Supplements can really fill in the gaps. It’s also a lifesaver for when your child doesn’t have an appetite because of a flare.

Healthy variety

Regardless of whether or not your child is using supplements or elimination diets, it’s good to offer them a healthy variety. Many kids with JA struggle with their weight due to steroid loss and lack of exercise. Eating nutritious foods low in calories can help keep off the weight that might bother their joints. Of course, this is easier said than done. But try to work with your child to find healthy and enjoyable snacks: apples and cheese, celery and peanut butter, sweet potatoes, and blueberries were some of my favourites!

Family effort

In my opinion, the best way to help children with arthritis eat better is to get the whole family in on it. When it’s a family effort to get healthy, things are a lot better. Make sure the focus is for everyone to “get healthy” and not “lose weight,” which can be an unhealthy message.
Over the years, I’ve heard every dietary suggestion under the moon. And while I have tried a few in vain, the best thing I ever did for my condition was eating clean. While I do treat myself here and there, I do my best to pick foods that are great for bone health and energy. By focusing on enjoying the healthy foods I enjoy rather than cutting out major food groups, I’ve been able to enjoy what I eat and feel good knowing I’m doing what’s best for my body

Note: Juvenile Arthritis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Juvenile Arthritis News or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to juvenile arthritis.

https://juvenilearthritisnews.com/2018/06/28/juvenile-arthritis-symptoms-dulled-healthy-diets/

Severe joint pain could be a symptom of gout - what you need to know

From express.co.uk

ARTHRITIS types include osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and gout. Although the former is the most common, there are other types to be aware of. These four symptoms, including severe joint pain, may indicate gout.

Arthritis causes pain and stiffness in affected joints

The condition can affect any joint in the body, including elbows, hips and knees

There are several different types of arthritis including psoriatic arthritis, osteo-arthritis and gout

The third type can be caused by being overweight, having diabetes or high blood pressure which can cause small crystals to develop around joints, causing severe pain

Symptoms of gout include a sudden severe pain that can last for a long time

Arthritis happens when there are problems in joints, causing pain to the sufferer.
Gout, a type of arthritis, happens when small crystals form inside and around joints.
These can grow when a waste product, called uric acid, builds up in the body causing pain to intensify.
Being overweight, having diabetes and high blood pressure all increase your risk of developing gout.
These four symptoms could be a sign of gout, according to the NHS.

Sudden attack of severe pain
The national healthcare provider says that this is the “main symptom” of the condition.
It can be described as “a sudden attack of severe pain in one or more joints, particularly in your big toe”.
These attacks are more likely to occur at night, develop quickly over a few hours, and last between three and ten days.

Tender joints
If you have a joint that feels “hot” or “very tender”, this could also be a sign of gout.
The NHS says the feeling could be “to the point of being unable to bear anything touching it”.

Arthritis: Symptoms and signs can appear anywhere in the body, but are more likely in the big toe

Swelling in joints
You should also watch out for an expansion/enlargement of your joint, which could indicate the condition.

Skin changes
Your skin may become “peeled”, “itchy” and “flaky” if you have gout.
It may also become “red and shiny” over the affected joint.
These symptoms can affect anywhere on the body, but may be more likely in the big toe, mid foot, ankles, knees, fingers, wrists and elbows.

“The intense pain can make getting around difficult,” continued the NHS. “Even the light pressure of a bed cover or blanket can be unbearable.”
“If gout is left untreated, it’s likely to affect more joints over time.”
The Arthritis Foundation, says that the first symptom of gout is often “excruciating pain”.
“Gout usually affects one joint at a time, but if left untreated it can affect many joints.
“Joint pain that used to resolve in a week to 10 days could become a milder, but constant pain,” the American organisation added.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/974796/arthritis-gout-symptoms-signs-severe-joint-pain

Musings of a Matriarch: When my ankle aches, there’s rain comin’

From miningjournal.net

I never dreamed I’d utter the same words my grandmother used to say when the sky clouded up and threatened rain. Her arthritis caused her hands to ache and she knew a downpour wasn’t far off. Of course, I didn’t believe her. In my young mind nobody could predict the weather by the pain in their bones. Whoever heard of such a silly thing?

Well, fast forward 60 years and you know perfectly well who. The writer of this musing, that’s who. In 1998 I broke my ankle in two places. I didn’t cry until I saw the X-rays. My poor little bones were dangling by a thread. The doctor took one look and said he would pin and plate them.
When I told him I didn’t have health insurance, he never missed a beat. He said a cast would be just the ticket. He wrapped and plastered and sent me home telling me to keep off my feet for six weeks.
I spent all those weeks on my back. I hired someone to cut the grass. I asked another Avon lady to deliver my orders. A friend brought groceries and washed our clothes. My daughter acted as nursemaid. My buddy, Roger Pilon, planted the oak seedlings I ordered a few weeks prior to my fall. Everyone was kind.
When the doctor sawed off that cast and replaced it with another, I hobbled around on crutches. When that cast came off, I wore a gigantic boot for six weeks and continued to use the crutches. Finally after almost three months, I felt normal again, or at least as normal as I ever feel.
People asked me how I endured the itch when I was wearing the cast. I told them there was no itch. The whole process was fairly painless. I took a tumble in July and it wasn’t until March that the bones gave way. When I fell in the summer, I heard two clicks but as there was no pain, I didn’t pay much attention to the sound. However, when I tripped coming out of the garage, I knew I wasn’t getting up without help. My daughter called a neighbour and he got me upright and drove me to the emergency room. Thankfully, there wasn’t much to me in those days so there was no need for the aid of a Sherman tank.
It took at least a decade for my ankle to predict the weather. Maybe some bones are smarter than others, I don’t know, but my bones didn’t wise up for at least ten years. Even then it didn’t occur to me that the ache in my ankle meant rain. I didn’t immediately connect the two until a few years ago so I guess I’m just as dumb as my bones.
Last week the sky opened up and rain poured down in buckets. By 8:00 a.m. my back yard had a number of little ponds, my front yard looked like a small lake, and my leaky garage was about to float away. As for my ankle, it did what mended, arthritic ankles are supposed to. It ached. It throbbed. It caused me discomfort and it did all this long before even one tiny drop of rain fell.
So there you have it. What was bizarre and foreign to me as a child has now become common place. Some of you probably know what I mean. If you predict the weather by the ache in your bones, your grandchildren might think you are losing your marbles. I can only imagine the look of surprise on a child’s face when rain falls on cue. It’s nice to know our bones only let us down when they break. Otherwise, they’re often more accurate than Karl Bohnak when they predict what’s going to fall from the sky.
The summer I was 17 I worked at a restaurant just this side of the Lower Tahquamenon Falls. The Bunny Bread man fell “in love” with me. Don’t ask me why, but he thought I was the cat’s meow. He was from Newberry and was a few years up on me. His name was Pat and I think he attended NMU. His plan was to get engaged, wait another year until I graduated high school, then get married. In my mind, the plan was so full of holes it was more like a sieve than a well-thought out strategy. I had no more affection for him than I did for the weather. When school started and I ignored his letters, he sent me a postcard saying “Time Wounds All Heels.” I guess I broke his heart, but he made a full recovery and married someone else.
According to a Facebook post I read a year or two ago, Pat died. Time never did “wound” me, but it sure played havoc with my ankle. Just thinking about all that rain Pat is sending from heaven brings a throb to my mended bones. I’m well aware he’s not responsible for my pain, but you know how it is. We have to blame someone for our discomfort.
Pat called me a “heel” because I didn’t return his admiration. At the time I questioned the strength of his “love.” I guess it evaporated faster than the puddles in my yard. Broken bones are excellent weather predictors, but nobody comprehends matters of a romantic heart.

Editor’s note: Sharon M. Kennedy of Brimley is a humourist who infuses her musings with a hardy dose of matriarchal common sense. She writes about everyday experiences most of us have encountered at one time or another on our journey through life. Her articles are a combination of present day observations and nostalgic glances of the past. She can be reached via email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. In addition, Sharon has compiled a collection of stories from her various newspaper columns. The title of her book is “Life in a Tin Can.” Copies are available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle format.

http://www.miningjournal.net/life/thursday-boomers-beyond/2018/06/musings-of-a-matriarch-when-my-ankle-aches-theres-rain-comin/

Rheumatoid arthritis pain: This 27p food could help eradicate agonising symptoms

From express.co.uk

ARTHRITIS pain is caused by problems in the joints, such as the knee, leading to discomfort for the sufferer. You could relieve the symptoms of most forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, by adding this fruit to your diet.

Arthritis pain is caused by problems in the joints.
The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, can be caused by the thickening of tissue in your joints and inflammation in the area, causing the symptoms of arthritis.
Signs that you have the condition include joint stiffness, swelling and pain.
You’re more at risk of developing arthritis if you’re older, overweight or female, among other factors.
Dr Sarah Brewer, a medical consultant, recommends adding apples to your diet on her website.

A 2018 review found that polyphenols are “able to inhibit the expression and the release of a number of substances which cause inflammation”.
“Studies on animal models of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout show interesting results in terms of reduced tissue damage and others.”
Published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, the authors called for more tests to determine whether further polyphenol consumption should be used as a way to treat arthritis.
Apples can be purchased for as little as 27p each in most UK stores.

Alongside consuming apples, Dr Sarah Brewer also recommended eating other fruits and vegetables to fight off arthritis pain.
“My first Golden Rule for arthritis is to eat at least five (and preferably more) servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
“The provide an array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for all types of joint pain and swelling, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout.”
The NHS recommends eating a “healthy, balanced diet” if you suffer from arthritis.
“Eating healthily will give you all the nutrients you need and help you maintain a healthy weight.”

The national healthcare provider says you should aim for five portions of fruit and veg every day, each at about 100 grams.
“Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards your five a day,” says their website
“So it may be easier than you think to get your recommended daily amount.”
Other ways to reduce arthritis symptoms include taking glucosamine tablets.
Dr Josh Axe, an American Clinical Nutritionist, recommends these as they can help you get helpful nutrients for “repairing joints”.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/968520/arthritis-rheumatoid-pain-uk-knee-symptoms-diet-apple