Issue What is Arthritis?

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1 Issue What is Arthritis? Arthritis is very common but can be very confusing for patients to understand. Arthritis is not a single disease, it is a way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and arthritis related conditions. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in America. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people age (Understanding Arthritis,Arthritis Foundation).

2 Types of Arthritis Degenerative Arthritis Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. When cartilage wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. As time goes on, joints can lose their strength and pain may become chronic. Risk factors of osteoarthritis include obesity, family history, age and previous injury (ACL tear for example). When the joint symptoms of osteoarthritis are mild or moderate, they can be managed by: - Balancing activity with rest - Using hot and cold therapies - Regular physical activity - Maintaining a healthy weight - Strengthening the muscles around the joint for added support - Using assistive devices - Taking pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medicines - Avoiding excessive repetitive movements Inflammatory Arthritis A healthy immune system is protective. Your immune system generates internal inflammation to get rid of infection and prevent disease. The immune system can get compromised and mistakenly attack the joints with uncontrolled inflammation, potentially cause joint destruction and may damage internal organs, eyes and other parts of the body. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis are examples of inflammatory arthritis. Researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environmental factors can trigger autoimmunity. Smoking is an example of an environmental risk factor that can trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people with certain genes. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical for those with autoimmune and inflammatory types of arthritis. Slowing down disease activity can help minimize or even prevent permanent joint damage. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further joint damage.

3 Infectious Arthritis Bacteria, virus, or fungi can enter the joint and cause inflammation. Examples of organisms that can infect joints are salmonella, shingella, chlamydia, gonorrhea and hepatitis C. In many cases treatment with antibiotics may clear the joint infection, but sometimes the arthritis becomes chronic. Metabolic Arthritis Uric acid is formed as the body breaks down purines, a substance found in human cells and in many different foods. Some people have high levels of uric acid because they naturally produce more than is needed or the body can t get rid of the uric acid quickly enough. In some people the uric acid builds up and forms needle-like crystals in the joint, resulting in sudden spikes of extreme joint pain, or a gout attack. Gout can come and go in episodes or, if uric acid levels aren t reduced, it can become chronic, causing on going pain and dysfunction. What Can be Done About Arthritis? There are many things that can be done to preserve joint function, mobility, and quality of life. Learning about the disease and treatment options, making time for physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are essential. Arthritis is commonly misunderstood. Talk to your therapist if you have any questions about arthritis. You can also go to The Arthritis Foundation website, arthritis.org it has many resources for learning about arthritis, practical tips for daily living and more. Physical and Occupational Therapy Benefits Arthritis treatment may include physical therapy and/or occupational therapy. Patients with arthritis often have stiff joints because they tend to avoid movements that can increase pain. If patients are sedentary and do not move arthritic joint, the stiffness and pain can only get worse. Therefore, patients with arthritis often benefit from therapy. A physical or occupational therapist can teach you how to work out stiffness without further damaging your joints. Physical therapy also is useful after an injury, such as from a fall, and after joint surgery, especially for artificial joint replacement. Occupational therapy can teach you how to reduce strain on your joints during daily activities. Occupational therapists can show you how to modify your home and workplace environments to reduce movements/activities that may intensify your arthritis. They may also provide splints for your hands or wrists, and recommend assistive devices to aid in tasks such as driving, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, and certain work activities.

4 New! Nutrition Counseling at Agape: Make the food you eat, work for you! Our Wellness Coordinator, Kathleen is a certified nutrition specialist and wants to help you make the connection between what you eat and how you feel. Nutrition counseling offers help and relief for your health concerns, whether you want to: - Manage chronic illness - Have fewer aches and pains in your back or joints - Have better digestion - Conquer eating issues - Lose weight and rev up your metabolism - Increase energy and well-being - Learn what foods specifically your body needs to reach your physical, mental and emotional needs The natural healing force Contact Kathleen with any questions within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. kcollier@agapetherapy.com Wellness Workshops at Agape! Agape wants to help you learn more about topics affecting you! Each of our therapists will do an educational wellness presentation on a certain topic focusing on improving your pain, lifestyle, nutrition and overall wellness. Have more questions on Arthritis? Join Linda, our Occupational Therapist, on Tuesday April 18th at our Arthritis Wellness Workshop at 6:00pm Where: Agape Therapy in CF How Much: FREE

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