Arthritis pain - ‘wonderful’ exercise to relieve joint symptoms revealed

From express.co.uk

ARTHRITIS pain affects about 10 million people in the UK. You can relieve symptoms of arthritis, including joint pain and inflammation, by doing more of this “wonderful” exercise.

Arthritis is a common condition that affects people of all ages, including young children.
The condition is often caused by a gradual wearing down of the smooth cartilage that lines the joints.
You could relieve signs of arthritis by keeping active, according to the NHS.
Swimming is one of the best exercises for arthritis patients, it’s been revealed.
It helps to work all of the muscles in the body, while not putting extra pressure on joints, said the Arthritis Foundation.

Joints are supported while underwater, it said. That makes it a great choice for arthritis patients.
Swimming could also enhance cardiovascular function, while improving posture.
Patients considering swimming should start slowly, and build-up to further distances and higher intensities, the foundation added.
“Swimming is a wonderful zero-impact sport for people with arthritis,” said the Arthritis Foundation.
“It works all your muscle groups and builds cardiovascular endurance.

      Arthritis pain: The best exercise for joint symptoms is swimming (Image: GETTY Images)

“It also stretches and lengthens your body, improving your posture.
“Water can have a gentle, soothing effect on the body.
“Swimming laps can be very meditative; there is no pounding music, no clanging weights – it's just you and the water.”
Each swimming stroke uses different muscles and joints, so it’s important to find the stroke for you.
Using kickboards or pull buoys can help patients to modify their strokes to suit their joints.

Around 10 million people in the UK have arthritis, said the NHS.
Arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation, restricted movement, and joint stiffness.
Making some small diet changes could help to alleviate arthritis joint pain.
If you’re overweight, losing weight may help to reduce some of the pain.
Too much weight puts extra pressure on the joints in your hips, knees, ankles and feet.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/995392/arthritis-pain-symptoms-exercise-swimming

5 Ways to Minimize Pain While Travelling With Rheumatoid Arthritis

From newsmax.com

Vacation is one of the most exciting times of the year for most of us, but for people with rheumatoid arthritis, traveling can mean pain, discomfort, and inflammation. Though it may be harder for those with a chronic disease to take to the skies or hit the road, it’s still possible for them to have an enjoyable vacation by following five tips on how to minimize pain.

A chronic disease that affects all of the joints in the body, rheumatoid arthritis is what Dr. Grace Wright, rheumatologist and author of several publications on rheumatology, calls a “systemic disease.”

“This is a [disease] that can affect every aspect of your life,” she tells Newsmax. “You can have joint pain, but you can also have inflammation in certain internal organs, as well.” She also notes that people living with rheumatoid arthritis often struggle with overwhelming fatigue, feeling “like they’d just run a marathon” when they wake up in the morning.

Travelling can present a slew of problems for those with rheumatoid arthritis. “When travelling by plane, car or train, you end up sitting in seats for a long time, which can cause a lot of discomfort, because all the joints get really stiff and sore,” Wright explains. Sitting in cramped conditions for an extended period of time can cause rheumatoid arthritis to flare, or worsen its symptoms.

So what can you do to make your summer vacation less stressful and pain free? Dr. Wright outlines a few simple steps that anyone can take to decrease joint stiffness and manage arthritis pain while travelling.

Move around. “It’s important to get up and walk around, massage, and move,” Wright explains, “not to just stay seated in this frozen position.” If you’re on a plane or a train, take a few minutes to move around and stretch, and if you’re driving, stop every few hours to do the same. Staying sedentary can make your joints stiffen, so it’s vital that you take some time to get them moving.

Travel light. When preparing for vacation, it can be easy to over pack your suitcase, throwing in anything you “might need.” This can make your suitcase extremely heavy, which will take its toll on your joints. “Get rid of the heavy luggage,” Wright urges. “You can check the luggage, or pack exactly what you need, so that you’re not dragging heavy items, putting extra strain on those joints.”

Talk to your doctor. Depending on the intensity of your symptoms, some trips might be more feasible than others. Before making any plans, it’s important to talk to your physician and see what kind of trip is possible for you. “A 12-hour trip is very different from a two hour one,” Wright notes.

Pack your meds. “Don’t skip your medicines — travel with them!” Wright says. “Make sure to take them as your prescribed to prevent flares while you’re on the trip.” If your rheumatoid arthritis does flare up, depending on your treatment regiment, you can also try to take pain relief medication to manage the pain and discomfort.

Drink lots of water. Sometimes, when you’re hitting the road or heading to the airport, you forget to drink your recommended daily 64 ounces of water. But as Wright explains, hydration is vital to managing joint stiffness, so make sure to pack or buy water bottles as you travel.

https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/minimize-arthritis-travel-pail/2018/07/20/id/872884/

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms: Are you at risk? Five signs you could have the condition

From express.co.uk

RHEUMATOID arthritis symptoms and signs are caused when the immune system starts to attack the body’s joints. Watch out for these warning signs of the condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are often related to joint problems, although they can also cause other difficulties in the body.
The condition occurs when the immune system starts to attack joints, causing inflammation and pain to the sufferer.
It is the second most common form of arthritis in the UK, with Osteoarthritis being the most common, according to Arthritis Research UK (ARUK).
“Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis tend to come and go,” said the charity online.
“You may have flare-ups when your symptoms become worse than normal.”
Watch out for these five signs of the condition.

Joint pain
This is one of the “main symptoms” of the condition, according to the NHS.
The type of pain tends to be “throbbing” and “aching”, and is worse in the mornings or following a period of inactivity.
“A few joints - often your fingers, wrists or balls of your feet - become uncomfortable and may sell, often intermittently,” said ARUK online.

Stiffness
Problems moving joints can also happen due to rheumatoid arthritis.
“You may also feel stiff when you wake up in the morning,” said ARUK. “If you have painful, swollen joints and stiffness in the morning that lasts for longer than half an hour, you should see your doctor.”

Tiredness
Feeling general fatigue, depression or irritability could be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis.
The NHS described this as a “lack of energy” saying some people with the condition experience “a range of more general symptoms”.

Anaemia
Anaemia, or iron deficiency, can be caused by the condition.
“The underlying causes of this are not well understood,” said medicinal website Everyday Health, “but the inflammation that occurs throughout the body in rheumatoid arthritis may contribute to it”.
“Inflamed tissues in the joints release proteins that compromise the body’s ability to use iron and produce red blood cells, leading to a low red blood cell count.”

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms: Joint pain and stiffness is a warning sign for this type of arthritis

Signs of flu
“Flu-like symptoms, such as feeling generally ill, feeling hot and sweating,” are also warning signs for the condition said ARUK.
The NHS added a poor appetite and weight loss could all be warning signs.
“Research shows that the sooner you start treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, the more effective it’s likely to be, so early diagnosis is important,” said ARUK.
“For about one in five of those with rheumatoid arthritis the condition develops very rapidly, with pain and swelling in a lot of joints, sever morning stiffness and great difficulty doing everyday tasks.”
There’s currently no cure for the condition, but some treatments may relieve pain or slow down joint damage.
If you are concerned you have the condition, contact your GP.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/990088/rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms-signs-pain-what-are-the-symptoms-do-i-have-inflammation

Arthritis pain: Three easy tricks to help soothe agonising joint pain

From express.co.uk

ARTHRITIS pain is caused by problems in the joints leading to inflammation. Treatment for this tends to involve diet changes, more exercise and medications. Try these three tips to treat pain in joints caused by arthritis.

Arthritis pain could be soothed by following these steps, recommended by experts

Pain and inflammation in joints may be reduced by exercising more regularly or making diet changes

Arthritis pain treatment can help reduce pain and soothe joint issues

Arthritis pain affects around 10 million people in the UK, according to the NHS.
It can be caused by several different types of the condition, including osteoarthritis, which affects four fifths of sufferers, and rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system attacks joints.
“Osteoarthritis most often develops in adults who are in their late 40s or older,” said the NHS online.
“It’s more common in women and people with a family history of the condition.”
Dr Dawn Harper, GP and Dr Sarah Brewer, said these three tips could help reduce arthritis pain.

Exercise
“It’s important to keep as active as you can to reduce arthritis pain,” said Dr Harper.
Exercises such as water aerobics can help ease arthritis pain, by improving strength and mobility in muscles and joints.
“Many people are afraid to exercise because they believe it damages their joints,” said Arthritis Research UK online.
“But keeping active will help to keep your joints moving easily and reduce pain.
“Your body is designed to move and not doing so can harm the tissues in and around your joints.”

                  Arthritis pain: Try these three tricks to reduce inflammation and aches in joints

Try these supplements
“Omega-3 supplements (especially if you don’t eat much oily fish) and glucosamine may also help,” said Dr Harper.
“Rub-in treatments such as glucosamine gel are popular,” continued Dr Brewer. “Glucosamine and chondroitin are among the most popular as they stimulate the production of new joint tissues.

“The latest approach is to take cannabidiol (CBD) oil to relax muscles, reduce pain perception, lift mood and promote general wellbeing.”
Arthritis Research UK said: “As well as having a healthy, balanced diet, getting additional nutrients from food supplements may help if you have arthritis."
Benefits of taking CBD oil can help treat pain as it has analgesic effects, meaning it acts to relieve pain.

Arthritis pain: Fish oil supplements could also help reduce joint aches and inflammation
Medication
As well as these methods, taking medication could also help relieve arthritis pain.
“Anti-inflammatory medication will help ease the pain,” said Dr Harper.
As well as the medication, supplements could also help.
Dr Brewer recommended trying Omega-3 fish oil, turmeric or Boswellia, a herbal extract from tree resin, as an “excellent” way to treat inflammation and reduce pain.
You could also reduce arthritis pain by eating foods such as broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/986813/arthritis-pain-inflammation-treatment-joints-osteoarthritis

Old wives’ remedy helped arthritis pain

From chron.com

Q: Several years ago, I read about a study done at Cardiff University in Wales. The scientists gave patients scheduled for knee-replacement surgery either 1,000 milligrams of cod-liver oil or placebo. The volunteers took these pills for 10 to 12 weeks and then had their surgery.

Samples of cartilage and joint tissue at the time of surgery showed that 86 percent of the patients on cod-liver oil produced less of a cartilage-eroding enzyme or none of it. The pills also reduced levels of other enzymes that cause pain.

I decided to try adding cod-liver oil pills to the glucosamine and chondroitin I was taking already. I marked my calendar, as I'd decided that if I had no reduction in pain in 10 to 12 weeks, I'd discontinue the cod-liver oil. My pain was so bad that it would wake me from a sound sleep every night, and I would be up for hours. Nothing helped. I felt it was just a matter of time until I would need to have the knee replaced.

One morning, I realized that I had slept through the night with no pain! I checked the calendar and discovered that it had been only 21 days since I started the cod-liver oil.

I have recommended this to many people who have gotten the same wonderful results. I wonder how many knee-replacement surgeries could be avoided if people tried taking cod-liver oil first.

A: Thank you for alerting us to an interesting, though small, study. It included 31 people and was presented at the Third Congress of the European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids.
Many doctors perceive the use of cod-liver oil for joint pain as an old wives' tale. It is a shame that there has not been more research to investigate the potential benefits of cod-liver oil for osteoarthritis. Anyone who is interested in nondrug approaches to easing joint pain may be interested in our online electronic resource, “Alternatives for Arthritis.” Links to the product may be found at peoplespharmacy.com.

https://www.chron.com/life/article/Old-wives-remedy-helped-arthritis-pain-13038316.php