Ostearthritis Prevalence and Cllquial Definitin Of the mre than 100 types f arthritis, Ostearthritis is by far the mst cmmn. OA affects nearly 27 millin peple in the United States. Like ther chrnic cnditins, stearthritis has n single, specific cause. Instead, there are several factrs invlved in disease, including heredity and lifestyle. Official Definitin Ostearthritis, als called degenerative jint disease, is a type f arthritis that is caused by the breakdwn and eventual lss f the cartilage f ne r mre jints. Cartilage is a prtein substance that serves as a cushin between the bnes f the jints. This cnditin is distinguished frm ther types f arthritis by being d ly related t age and wear and tear f the jint structures. Causes Many changes in the bdy may trigger jint degeneratin. Age alne changes the quality f cartilage, making it drier and mre prne t injury Being verweight, which adds stress t hips and knees Repetitive punding stress such as running r jumping withut adequate supprt Hrmnal imbalances r nutritinal deficiencies may cmprmise jint health Histry f trauma r surgery (such as meniscus) is anther predispsing factr Signs and Symptms
Pain: Yur jints may ache, r the pain may feel burning r sharp. Fr sme peple, the pain may cme and g. Stiffness: When yu have arthritis, getting up in the can be hard. Yur jints may feel stiff and creaky fr a shrt time, until yu get mving. Muscle weakness: The muscles arund the jint may get weaker. This happens a lt with arthritis in the knee. Swelling: Arthritis can cause swelling in jints, making them feel tender and sre. Defrmed jints: Jints can start t lk like they are the wrng shape. Reduced range f mtin and lss f use f the jint: As yur arthritis gets wrse, yu may nt be able t fully bend, flex, extend yur jints r yu may nt be able t use them at all. Lifestyle Cnsideratins Diet Sme patients ntice that particular fds can trigger arthritis flares. In rega t arthritis, these mre frequent ffenders tend t be : dairy prducts, nightshade vegetables (tmates, peppers, etc.), sugar, chclates, red meats and salt. Overweight patients with stearthritis can lessen the shck n their jints by lsing weight. Lsing 5 punds f weight can eliminate 20 punds f stress n the knee. The greater the weight lss, the greater the benefit. Exercise A mderate exercise prgram that includes lw-impact aerbics and pwer and strength training has benefits fr patients with stearthritis. Lng perids f inactivity cause the arthritic jint t stiffen, muscle t atrphy and ligaments t becme weak.
Stress Management Feeling stressed, depressed, and verwhelmed by arthritis pain is cmmn. Cping mechanisms, such as using supprt systems, exercise, and relaxatin techniques are key in managing pain. Pain Management Use heat and cld t manage pain. Heat als relieves stiffness and cld can relieve muscle spasm. Medicatins may be prescribed t reduce pain caused by stearthritis. Pain-relieving drugs include acetaminphen (fr example, Tylenl) and anti-inflammatry drugs (ften called NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprfen Glucsamine may be particularly helpful in the early stages f stearthritis f the knee. These substances can help reduce swelling and tenderness, as well as imprve mbility and functin. Massage and Acupuncture have been prven t be safe and effective ways t reduce pain and imprve functin in adults with stearthritis. Patient Educatin OA treatment is tailred t the needs f each individual. Patient s symptms vary widely due t the lcatin f the jints invlved, the rate f prgressin and f the highly individual nature f the disrder and its ptential impact n the patient s life. Educatin and reassurance fr the patient, their family, and caregivers is recgnized as an imprtant cmpnent f OA therapy. It is essential t understand the benefits f the patient taking an active rle in the management f their disease. Zanjabee Management Apprach At Zanjabee, we prvide a full range f integrated services enabling us t assess and prvide the mst effective curse f treatment fr yu and yur cnditin including: 90 minute cnsult with ur bard certified physicians, which includes a cmprehensive medical histry and physical examinatin t identify any underlying physical cause, mental illness r substance use cntributing t anxiety. Apprpriate Labratry / Imaging Tests Patient jurnal review: We ask patients t keep a dairy detailing their fd, sleep, exercise and ther significant events. Diary review assesses life stressrs and daily rutine. This frms the basis fr persnalized lifestyle supprt recmmendatins Practitiner team meets t develp a persnalized, integrated treatment plan fr each patient Recmmendatins and guidance t apprpriate cmplementary treatment including physician team fllw up Specific Treatment fr Ostearthritis
Western Medicine Bth Wear and tear and increased inflammatin cntribute t evlutin f Early disease shws swelling f jints as cartilage cells try t repair the damaged cartilage. Later there is lss f cartilage and denuded bne n bne causes excruciating pain. Lifestyle measures and glucsamine are critical t jint preservatin and managing pain Nn Steridal Anti Inflammatry Drugs (NSAIDS) like Aspirin, Acetaminphen, and Ibuprfen are the mainstay f pain relief but they can be damaging t the stmach, kidneys and liver and d nt prlng the life f the jint. In sme cases, cartilage is harvested frm the jint, in the lab and re-injected int the jint with gd results but this technique has limited applicatins s far. Jint replacement with metal jint prsthesis are the f advanced OA and prevent a great deal f suffering. Newer jints last fr greater than 10 years in sme cases and allw mre mvement than their predecessrs. Prsthetic Jints d nt allw the same degree f mvement as ur riginal jints and therefre jint preservatin via weight lss, mindfulness regarding psture, preventing reinjury and ptimizatin f muscles and ligaments via stretching and weight training remain critical. Acupuncture In Chinese medicine, OA is called Painful Obstructin me, which indicates pain, sreness r numbness f muscles, tendns and jints frm invasin f external Wind, Cld r Dampness. Usually all three f these are present in painful bstructin syndrme. The causes are ften: Weather Excessive sprts r jb activities Accidents Emtinal prblems Invasin f these factrs is due t pre-existing cnditins f deficiency f Qi and bld usually in the channels and nt in the rgans. Anther very imprtant predispsing factr is an underlying deficiency f Bld and Yin, which is very cmmn in the elderly. Acupuncture is very effective in the acute stage. It is helpful in chrnic cnditins as well, but it takes much lnger t help, because underlying deficiencies need t be addressed. In the chrnic stage it is better t use herbs and/r supplements in cnjunctin with acupuncture. Ayurveda OA is called sandhivata in Ayurveda, which literally translated means aggravated Vatta, which has lcalized in the sandhi r jint. The vatta energy r humr is predminant in air and ether elements, bth f which have a drying quality t them. Hence an individual, whse predminant
humr is vatta, will be mre prne t develping OA, cmpared t a Pitta r Kapha dminant type. Als, any individual wh indulges in vatta aggra ing diet and lifestyle such as eating dry, raw and cld fds in excess, irregular sleeping suppressin f natural urges, and expsure t severe cld, and dry weather, will be like t suffer frm OA. There culd als be ther causes f OA like injury, scar tissue, etc. The first step f the treatment wuld be t eliminate minimize the diet and lifestyle related causes. The next step wuld be t frmulate a custmized prtcl with recmmendatins fr cnducive and suitable diet and lifestyle, as well as herbs and herbal frmulatins. Sme standard recmmendatins include internal administratin f Ghee r castr il, fr internal lubricatin, as well as ne r tw preparatins f Guggulu r Cmniphera mukul, which is antiinflammatry and analgesic. Anther cmmnly prescribed grup f herbs is Dashamula r ten rts. There are very effective pain-relieving external applicatins as well, such as: medicated ils, steamed herbal leaves, pultices, etc. Massage Massage therapy is a pwerful weapn in the fight t relieve the discmfrt and pain related t stearthritis. Muscles and tendns supprt and mve all the bdy s jints. Thus, inflamed and painful jints affect muscles and tendns. Because massage therapy is a passive frm f exercise, it can help OA sufferers by increasing circulatin, range f mtin and tissue suppleness, all while remving lymph frm between the cells. Zanjabee Apprach t Ostearthritis 1. Early Diagnsis: Zanjabee emphasizes early diagnsis in OA. Jint cartilage des nt regenerate well nce it is destryed hence treatment in advanced OA mainly fcuses n pain management. 2. Acute Treatment: When the jint is acutely inflamed and painful, jint rest, Massage and applicatin f heat and cld apprpriately are very imprtant. Massage and Acupuncture as well as pultices frm Ayurveda can be very helpful in this stage 3. Halting the prgressin f disease: Lifestyle changes especially weight lss and exercises that imprve muscle tne and jint flexibility withut further damaging the jint are key in preventing the prgressin f disease and getting back maximal functin. Ayurveda bdy typing and diet and supplement suggestins accrding t bdy type can be very helpful Glucsamine has been shwn t imprve pain in OA as we l. 4. Surgery: If cnservative measures d nt succeed, we help ur patients find the right rthpedic surgen at the right time fr a partial r full jint replacement which can give back mbility, relief frm pain and increased freedm f mvement. 5. Relief frm Pain: If a Zanjabee patient is nt a candidate fr r des nt want surgery, a pain management plan based n Massage, Acupuncture and Herbs is develped t serve the individual needs f the patient.