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Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States and is the leading cause of disability.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every three Americans (an estimated 70 million people) is affected by one of the more than 100 types of arthritis.
For most people arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery. Your doctor can tell if you have arthritis through blood tests and x-rays. He or she will then be able to help you decide on the best treatment for your case.
Arthritis is a chronic disease that will be with you for a long time and possibly for the rest of your life. Your treatments will probably change over time and medication may be adjusted. Having a positive mental outlook and the support of family and friends will help you live with arthritis and be able to continue to perform your daily activities.
Types of Arthritis
At one point or another, everyone's body will hurt. When that pain is continuous it is time to go and see your general practitioner or primary care provider to find out what is wrong. He or she will be able to tell you if you have one of the many types of arthritis. Your doctor will probably perform an examination and/or use x-rays to see inside of your joints to determine if there has been any destruction of cartilage.
The 3 most common types of arthritis are:
- Osteoarthritis: Degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis, is the most common form of arthritis striking 121 people out of 1,000 between the ages of 18 and 79. According to the Arthritis Foundation, approximately 16 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis. Three times as many women than men are osteoarthritis patients.
When bone rubs against bone because the joint surface is gone, osteoarthritis develops. This rubbing happens when the cartilage that surrounds the ends of the bone degenerates. Cartilage provides shock absorbency and reduces friction as a joint moves. A joint consists of two or more bones and the cartilage, which helps cushion the joint. Joints can come in many sizes and shapes. Most often the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees and spine, are affected with osteoarthritis.
Early in the disease, your painful joints may be stiff but won't usually be warm or swollen. Over time the pain may become constant and wake you up at night. The cartilage may continue to wear away until bone is crunching on bone and a grating sound is heard. Deformity results when one side of the joint collapses more than the other side.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, affecting about two to three million Americans. It usually first appears between the ages of 25 and 50, but it can occur in children and in senior citizens.
Most commonly the joints of the fingers, wrists, arms and legs are affected and it will involve the same joints on both sides of the body. Swelling, pain, deformity and stiffness are typically present. Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis may also affect the heart, lungs, and eyes of some patients. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause an overall feeling of sickness and fatigue as well as weight loss and fever.
Some patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience constant symptoms while others have courses of bad periods or flares and good periods called remissions. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown but it is thought to be an autoimmune disease meaning that the body tissue is the victim of an immune response against itself.
- Fibromyalgia: A common but misunderstood disease, fibromyalgia affects approximately five million Americans. Eighty to 90 percent of all patients are women between the ages of 35 and 60. Constant fatigue, deep muscle pain, sleeplessness and depression are widespread symptoms of fibromyalgia. Tender points under the skin have become a hallmark of this disease. For all patients, these tender points are painful when pressed.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) does not involve the joints like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Rather it is a type of rheumatism of the muscles, ligaments, tendons or soft tissues. Rheumatism describes the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis. Although the symptoms of fibromyalgia may come and go over the years, the disease itself is chronic or long-term.
FlexProtex™ has been been proven effective as a treatment and pain management protocol for these and vertually every kind of arthritis
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