Gout Lupus Lyme disease Psoriatic arthritis Bursitis Scleroderma Reiter’s syndrome Sjogren’s syndrome Ankylosing spondylitis Fibromyalgia Juvenile arthritis

As a matter of fact, arthritis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system are the primary source of disability in the United States today.

For anyone to understand diseases of the joints, you need to look at the normal healthy joint. Joints are held together by a joint capsule that is designed to allow smooth movement between adjacent bones. In joints with the most mobility, which are commonly affected by arthritic diseases, bone ends are covered by articular cartilage over which the joint moves. A thin synovial membrane encloses the joint space itself. It then secretes a synovial fluid that lubricates the space between the cartilage-covered, joint-forming bones. The cartilage contains no blood vessels or nerves and receives its nutrients by distribution from the synovial fluid and from the bone. Thanks to this viscous fluid, and to the smooth, rubbery, blue-white cartilage covering the ends of the bones, the bones within the joint normally glide smoothly past one another. A problem arising in any of these areas can result in arthritis. Arthritis may appear suddenly or come on gradually. Some people feel a sharp burning or grinding pain. Others compare the pain to that of a toothache. Moving the joint usually hurts, although sometimes there is only stiffness. The swelling and deformity that takes place in arthritic joints can result from a thickening of the synovial membrane, an increase in the secretion of synovial fluid, enlargement of the bones, or some combination of these factors.

Joint functioning properly depends on the health of the cartilage in the joint and the synovial membrane. As we age, the ability to restore and maintain a normal cartilage structure decreases. The activity of important repair enzymes is reduced, the water content diminished, and the joints become more prone to damage. The once-smooth surface of cartilage becomes rough, resulting in friction. The cartilage begins to break down, and the normally smooth sliding surfaces of the bones become pitted and irregular.

Constant joint pain, immobility, and/or stiffness can affect a person’s quality of life. Sadly, as a society, we pretty much accept these conditions as a normal part of aging. There is hope, however; as scientists are just now beginning to understand the specific mechanisms involved in the development of arthritis and how to effectively correct them. A compelling body of evidence shows that the proper combination of natural therapies may work better most prescription drugs, and by taking advantage of this nutritional information, one can attain not only symptomatic relief, but actually intercede at the root of the problem and assist the body to rebuild functioning joints.

There are many different types of arthritis. Here we primarily discuss the most common forms:



• Osteoarthritis (also called degenerative joint disease)

This involves the deterioration of the cartilage protecting the ends of the bones. It is sometimes caused by injury, strain, or an inherited defect in the protein that forms cartilage. More often than not, it is a result of the wear and tear of aging, diet, and lifestyle. The once-smooth surface of cartilage becomes rough, resulting in friction. The cartilage breaks down, and the normally smooth sliding surface of the cartilage becomes pitted and irregular. Osteoarthritis affects the weight-bearing joints—the knees, hips and back—most severely, but it also commonly affects the hands and the knuckles. The tendons, ligaments, and muscles holding the joint together become weaker, and the joint becomes deformed, painful and stiff. The cartilage breaks down, and the normally smooth sliding surface of the cartilage becomes pitted and irregular. The cartilage breaks down, and the normally smooth sliding surface of the cartilage becomes pitted and irregular. Osteoarthritis affects the weight-bearing joints—the knees, hips and back—most severely, but it also commonly affects the hands and the knuckles. The tendons, ligaments, and muscles holding the joint together become weaker, and the joint becomes deformed, painful and stiff. There is usually some stiffness and pain (more stiffness than pain at first), with little or no swelling. Any resulting disability is most often minor. However, fractures become an increasing risk because osteoarthritis makes the bones brittle. As osteoarthritis advances, bony outgrowths called osteophytes tend to develop. These are often referred to as “spurs”, can be detected by x-rays, and develop near degenerated cartilage in the neck or in the lower back. This does not change a person’s appearance.

Osteoarthritis rarely develops before the age of forty, but it affects nearly everyone past the age of sixty. It may be so mild that a person is unaware of it until it appears on an x-ray. Nearly three times as many women as men have osteoarthritis.



• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

This is a type of inflammatory arthritis and is an autoimmune disorder. An overactive immune system can be just as harmful as a weak one. As with other autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis is a “self-attacking” disease. The body’s system improperly identifies the synovial membrane as foreign. Inflammation occurs, damaging cartilage and tissues in and around the joints. In many cases, the bone surfaces are destroyed as well because inflammation in the joints triggers the production of enzymes that slowly digest adjacent tissue. The body then replaces this damaged tissue with scar tissue, forcing normal spaces within the joints to become narrow and the bones to fuse together.

Rheumatoid arthritis frequently occurs in people under forty years of age. Currently, 2.1 million Americans have this disabling disease, 75% of them female. Juvenile arthritis is a form of rheumatoid arthritis that strikes children under the age of sixteen. It affects 71,000 young Americans—again—most of them female. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis is associated with physical or emotional stress, poor nutrition, and bacterial infection. Specialists have discovered that the blood of many people with rheumatoid arthritis contains antibodies called “rheumatoid factors,” a finding that can aid in the diagnosis of the condition. Whereas osteoarthritis affects individual joints, rheumatoid arthritis affects all of the body’s synovial joints. Joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis tend to make a sound like crinkling cellophane, while osteoarthritis joints make popping, clicking and banging noises. In addition, arthritis can also be caused by viral, bacterial or fungal infection of a joint. The microorganisms most commonly involved in this type of the disorder are streptococci, staphylococci, gonococci, hemophilus or tubercle bacilli, and fungi such as Candida albicans. In most cases, the infecting organism travels to the joint through the bloodstream from an infection in another area of the body, but injury or even surgery can result in joint infection as well. Symptoms include swelling, redness, pain, and tenderness in the affected joint, often accompanied by systemic symptoms of infection such as chills, fever, and body aches.

This is a group of rheumatic disorders that have a tendency to affect the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the most common of these.

With this disorder, specific joints of the spine become inflamed, then stiffen and become rigid. If it is confined to the lower back, AS causes virtually no limitation of movement. In certain cases, however, the complete spine may become rigid and bent. If the joints between the rigs and spine are affected, breathing problems may result as the chest wall’s ability to expand becomes limited. Postural deformities are common. Statistics state that more than 400,000 Americans suffer from AS. Twice as many men as women have this disorder.

• Gout This is an acute form of inflammatory arthritis that occurs most often in people who are overweight and/or who indulge frequently in rich foods and alcohol. It normally attacks the smaller joints of the feet and hands, especially the big toe. This is where deposits of crystallized uric acid salt in the joint cause swelling, redness, and a sensation of heat and extreme pain. There are about 1 million Americans that suffer from gout, and unlike most forms of arthritis, gout overwhelmingly affects men. Ninety percent of those who suffer from gout are male.

1 2 3 4 5 6