Anti-Aging, Health & Nutrition Facts

By Brad Bahr

Those of us who suffer the pain of arthritis understand what receiving relief means to us. We also understand that getting that relief may mean accepting some risk involved with using certain pain relievers. Why must we weight the risk of receiving much needed relief from pain against the increased risk of stomach issues, infections or even a heart attack? Does pain relief have to come at the risk of other health problems?

How do you know which pain medication will ease the pain without causing you future heartache and misery? We all know that our medical care provider is our best source of medical information but can we trust the information we receive when it seems that so many pharmaceutical companies target our physicians with reasons to push their brands? How do we know that what is being offered to us as acceptable pain medication therapy is really the best for us? Education is the key when it comes to making choices concerning our health. We should be partners with our medical team and not blindly follow what they suggest. We should be active regarding the decisions we face in our medications and in other aspects of our pain management.

You really need to put the pain medication risk into perspective. What exactly is the risk percentage and how likely are you to be at risk? A lot depends on your dosage and how you take the medication. Are you careful to read the label before taking your first dose? Do you know if it is advised to take food along with your medication? Are you clear on what your correct dosage is and if you can adjust the quantity of pills you take at any given time? These are all things that should be discussed with your medical care provider.

When pain of arthritis strikes and is not managed properly the patient will usually decrease movement and activity level and this can lead to more stiffness and pain. Part of the pain relief management therapy is to maintain mobility and to achieve the best level of activity possible. The decreased mobility experienced when pain is not being managed leads to more pain, which increases the desire to not move – it is a vicious cycle of pain. The cycle has to be stopped and the quality of life sustained and the best means for improving life offered.

There are non-medication methods to reduce pain that can be incorporated into the pain management plan for every patient. To osteoarthritis suffers this may mean losing 15 pounds or more (depending on weight), this weight management may help to halt the progression of the disease and allow the pain level to stabilize. Movement is essential to weight loss. It becomes not only a matter of comfort but a matter of health that patients with osteoarthritis keep moving in their daily lives. It does make a difference in their disease to stay active and to accomplish weight control. The proper weight can make a difference in your pain level. It should be the goal of every pain sufferer to obtain maximum health and provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. When this happens pain will be reduced. Physical therapy can help to understand the connection between movement and pain relief. Ask you medical provider to explore the benefits of non-medicated pain therapy that will help you to stay mobile. Swimming has many benefits especially in a heated pool. Learning all you can about not only the medications that can relieve pain, but other therapies as well can lead to better pain management.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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The number one goal of the practice of hydrotherapy is to get rid of as many toxins out of the body as possible. It is believed that the buildup of toxins is the number one reason that the body has inflammation as well as pain in the joints. Treatments of hydrotherapy have proven effective with patients who suffer from chronic health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Patients of osteoarthritis do well by way of warm and moist hydrotherapy treatments, such as for example the use of moist heat packs as opposed to dry treatments such as for example, by way of electric heating pads. To relieve stiffness in the joints and to get rid of tight pain that is intense and very penetrating, try using a warm compress on the skin for a period of 10 to 20 minutes, approximately every four hours. Other types of hydrotherapy treatments that can prove every bit as beneficial include exercising in a pool that is 85 degrees Fahrenheit or wading or swimming in a pool that is heated to the same temperature. In order to be effective the part of the body that is in pain must be immersed fully in the water.

If you suffer from pain that is very sharp and extremely intense then it is better to make use of cold hydrotherapy treatments. In this case take an ice pack ore a cold, wet compress and wrap it carefully in a plastic bag and then before use place a thin towel over the spot of skin that needs to be treated. It is recommended that the cold hydrotherapy treatment be applied every four hours for a period of 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Be forewarned that it is never recommended that you make use of any type of cold hydrotherapy treatment for any longer than 20 minutes at a time as this can serve to damage the tissue of the skin. If after using cold treatments for one or two days the pain has gotten considerably better or even if it has lessened somewhat, stop the cold treatments and switch to hot compresses.

Colonics are particularly effective when it comes to getting rid of toxins from the colon and help to stimulate the kidneys and other organs of the human body to greater action. Throughout the day drink as much distilled water as possible as this helps to support the body in flushing out toxins. Taking hot and cold showers are a way of stimulating circulation in a general sense and they act as a kind of general tonic for the body. If your time is short then quick cold showers, baths or massages done with cold towels are an excellent way to pump up the circulation in the body.

Something as simple as hot and cold compresses given locally and alternated back and forth are beneficial for circulatory purposes. Cold compresses in particular are effective for relieving pain in a local sense. Hot Epsom salts bath help to draw pain out of the body while local baths and compresses in general do their part in relieving pain and discomfort.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune system disease affecting people of all ages. It is most often diagnosed in middle age, but it can also affect children or the elderly. Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men. RA causes chronic inflammation of the joints, specifically the layers between the joints, but also may cause inflammation in other organs of the body.

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been discovered. Some people seem to be more likely to develop RA because of their genetic makeup. Something in the environment where they live may trigger the disease. Hormonal or bacterial factors could also be involved in causing RA.

People with rheumatoid arthritis usually experience periods of flares and remissions. It mostly affects symmetrical joints, especially in the fingers, hands, and wrists. The disease varies greatly in individuals, with some developing symptoms very quickly over a short period of time and other experiencing flares and remissions intermittently over several years.

There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but early detection and treatment can prevent or delay permanent damage to the joints. Combinations of treatments typically result in better control. Medications, plus proper exercise and sufficient rest, as well as joint protection and occasional surgery, produce an overall healthier result for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed by an examination of tender or swollen joints, a blood test called the rheumatoid factor (RF), the presence of stiffness in the early morning or after a period of inactivity, bumps or nodules under the skin near joints, and sometimes an x-ray. Not all of these symptoms may be present, and the RF test is positive in only 80 percent of people with RA. Therefore, a combination of factors is needed to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Sufferers of RA may be mildly anemic and another test for inflammation called erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) may be elevated. Sometimes people with RA test positive on an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test.

Because rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disease, anything that affects the immune system (like allergic reactions) may trigger a flare. The medications used to treat RA affect the immune system as well. People suffering from RA need to be careful about exposure to contagious diseases, especially if the medications in their treatment lower the immune system defenses of their body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a life-long disease. But with new medications, proper exercise and rest, and protection of the joints when needed, people with RA can live long and productive lives.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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