Archive for the 'Medicines and Remedies' Category

Protect Your Lawn With Organic Lawn Care

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Organic lawn care is the best way to make your lawn look healthy and also to help to keep the environment protected.

If you regularly look after your lawn with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, then you may not realize that you could actually be damaging the environment. We purchase our lawn care products thinking that they are good for our lawn and that they are safe to use. However that is sadly not always the case.

If you really want to look after your lawn then organic lawn care is what you need. It gives you a peace of mind when your children are out playing on the lawn and you will know that you are helping to protect the environment.

Using the Right Organic Lawn Care

One of the most surprising things that you will learn when it comes to your lawn, is that taller grass is actually healthier. This is generally because longer grass is better able to cope with everyday stresses and strains than shorter grass is. Ideally you should ensure that your lawn has three inches of grass. In the summer months this tends to be even more important as short grass has a habit of drying out and turning yellow or brown. Longer grass has deeper roots and that allows them to get al of the moisture that they need.

Also another important factor to remember is that your grass seedlings will also be looked after if there is loner grass next to them. The sun’s harmful rays cannot get to the seedlings as much if they are shaded by longer grass and so they survive a lot better than they would if you had shorter grass.

You may find that you need to fertilize your lawn and if that is the case then opt for an organic fertilizer. You can find these in most garden stores but if not, you can always find them on the Internet too. You should never use fertilizer in the summer months however; doing so will only cause your lawn to overheat. So it is better to use fertilizer during either fall or spring months.

If your lawn suffers from pests then it would be a good idea to use an organic pesticide too. Alternatively you can use other methods to keep the pests at bay. Things such as placing a bird bath in your garden will attract local birds which will in turn eat your pests. If you provide them with shrubs they will also hide in there and it will encourage the birds to stay around for longer.

Overall organic lawn care is simple when you know how and the only main rule is to avoid any chemical products.

About the Author:

Andrew Caxton publishes articles for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . Find more publications about sears craftsman lawn mower part at his website.






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I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis And Ive Heard Il-6 Is Bad. What Is It?

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease characterized by inflammation and multiplication of inflammation causing cells within the lining of the joints. This leads to progressive damage and bone destruction. In addition, because it is systemic disease, the same type of inflammatory changes are seen in other organ systems of the body.

It is the consensus of most researchers that RA is driven by chemical messengers called cytokines. These cytokines activate immune cells to attack the synovial lining of the joint. Among the most important cytokines are tumor necrosis- α (TNF) and interleukin -1β (IL-1).

These two cytokines have been the prime targets for the development of different therapies for RA. Drugs like Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade block the effects of TNF while Kineret blocks the effects of IL-1.

Another interesting cytokine that seems to play a significant role is interleukin-6. Studies have demonstrated that the fluid obtained from the inflamed joints of patients with RA have an increased level of IL-6. The increase in IL-6 correlates with laboratory signs of inflammation such as elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as well as with clinical signs such as fever and anemia.

IL-6 is made by a number of different cells that are involved in the immune response. These include, among others, T cells and B cells. T cells and B cells are lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that is responsible for many immune functions. Another major source of IL-6 in RA is the synovial cell fibroblast, a type of cell that is found in the lining of the joint of patients with RA.

In laboratory experiments, it appears that IL-6 is necessary for the production of antibodies by B cells. IL-6 also activates T-cells, ie. makes them more likely to participate in the immune response.

A number of studies have shown that IL-6 is a major player in causing and perpetuating inflammation. What seems to be the primary process within the joint is the production of IL-6 by synovial fibroblasts (SF). The IL-6 then causes more SF to grow. Thus a cycle of SF growth leading to more IL-6, leading to more SF growth takes place.

Il-6 may also cause another type of cell, the osteoclast, to multiply. Osteoclasts chew away bone. This chewing away of bone leads to erosions, the hallmark of RA within the joint.

Because IL-6 has such a large role in destructive inflammation, it has been an attractive target for drug development.

Attempts to create an antibody against IL-6 have been successful. Tociluzamab is a humanized mouse antibody directed against human IL-6. Experiments have clearly shown that this product binds to and inhibits the inflammatory capability of IL-6. The tradename of tociluzamab is Actemra.

Clinical trials are ongoing investigating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of this new compound.

About the Author:

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For more info: Arthritis Treatment






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Lawn Care In Oklahoma City

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Oklahoma lawn care is full of challenges. If you are too busy to tackle the problems yourself then why not hire out a professional landscaper?

Oklahoma City is one of the busiest cities in America. If you actually live there, you will no doubt be leading a really hectic, busy life. For this reason people find that when they come home they love nothing more than to relax and enjoy the scenery. Now that does not usually mean their own scenery – it means the scenery around them. Lawn care is too much of a hassle and with the heat and the extremely varied weather; it does provide a really big challenge to anybody who does want to take care of their lawns.

The Problem with Lawn Care in Oklahoma

The unpredictable extreme weather is not the only thing that you have to worry about with lawn care in Oklahoma. There is also the large problem of pests due to the heat. These pests live in our soil and they suck all of the life out of the lawn which can leave it looking dull and in some case, dying out. Now to sort out the problem it is no longer advisable to use a chemical pesticide, instead you will need to look into organic lawn care products.

Now if you do not have time to do the lawn yourself, then why not hire a professional? A professional can give you advice on the products you should be using, how you should be using them and the best ways to keep your lawn looking healthy. If you don’t have the time to do it all yourself then you should be able to hire out a landscaper who will take care of everything for you.

The thing is, the people in Oklahoma love nothing more than a well kept lawn. It is almost like a competition in some areas, where people try to keep their lawns looking fantastic to keep up with their neighbors. The good news is that excellent results can be achieved if you use organic lawn care products. Generally organic lawn care products can help your lawn to stay bouncy, healthy and fresh.

Just as long as you get the right knowledge on organic lawn care in Oklahoma, you should end up with fantastic results. A local expert will know exactly what problems you face and how you can overcome them. So use an experts help and that will be your first step to maintaining a fantastic looking lawn.

Overall Oklahoma does provide various challenges to those who are looking to take proper care of their lawns. However you can overcome those problems and you can enjoy a nice looking garden if you put that little bit of extra effort into it.

About the Author:

Andrew Caxton is the journalist of consumer websites, who has written more articles on lawn tractors for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . A focused website that offers the best articles on best lawn tractor and lawn care.






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Why Use Organic Lawn Care?

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Organic lawn care is certainly worth trying out if you want a bouncy, healthy green lawn.

When it comes to looking after the lawn, there are hundreds of pesticides and fertilizer that you can purchase. However, most of these can have a really negative effect on the environment and potentially even on your health too. The good news is, there is an alternative to these potentially harmful chemical pesticides and it comes in the form of organic lawn care.

Why Use Organic Lawn Care?

When you use organic lawn care products, you are helping to protect the environment and also you are helping to protect yourself. Basically organic lawn care products can be made from many things that are found within the home.

The main thing to remember is that you need to first analyze your lawn and see exactly what needs to be done. For example, does the lawn have weeds that need to be killed? Does it have any dead grass and leaves? Whatever your lawn problems, they need to be sorted out as soon as possible before you use any organic products on the lawn. This is because in order for the organic lawn care products to work, the lawn needs to be stable as it will be going through a big change.

As soon as you start using organic products you will notice a huge difference. The grass generally tends to grow thicker, bouncier and it will retain moisture a lot better too. So you will not have to water the lawn as much as usual and that saves you a lot of time to do the things that you actually want to do. Watering the lawn can take ages, especially in summer and so anything that saves you from having to water the lawn so much has got to be a good thing!

In order to make your own organic lawn care products, you can get inspiration both on the Internet and in some gardening magazines. You just might be surprised by what you can use and you will be helping to make the environment a safer place. For example, salt can be used to kill weeds and it is obviously a lot more environmentally friendly than chemical weed killers.

Overall finding organic lawn care products is not overly difficult. If you do not want to use your own, then you can purchase some in most gardening stores. If you cannot find what you are looking for then ask at the customer help desk where you might be able to find organic products.

About the Author:

Andrew Caxton is the author of more resources published at http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . For additional information on lawn care how to sharpen a lawnmower blades subjects have a look at his web.






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Keeping A Healthy Lawn Year Round With Spring Lawn Care

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Lawn care in springtime is not overly difficult and if you miss it out, you will see negative consequences.

If you like to take care of your garden and if you like it to look at its best all year round, you will know that it takes a lot of time and effort. This is especially true with lawn care and if you want to keep it looking at its best at all times, you will need to ensure that you take care of it throughout the different seasons.

Taking care of your lawn in spring is essential but not overly hard work. There are certain things that you need to do in order to ensure that your lawn stays looking healthy in spring and if you don’t, it could have negative effects on the lawn throughout the year.

The Perfect Spring Lawn Care Routine

A lot of the time, looking after your lawn in spring can save a lot of time and effort in the other months. Now the main things that need doing in spring are watering and fertilizing. However, depending upon how damaged your lawn actually is, it will determine how much work needs to be done before you can fertilize the lawn.

It could be that your lawn needs to be de-thatched or aerated beforehand. By aerating the lawn it helps the water as well as the nutrients that the lawn needs, to soak into the soil a lot more effectively. De-thatching the lawn helps you to remove any dead leaves and grass, as well as dead roots and that helps to keep the lawn looking good and it will help to stop diseases from spreading onto the lawn.

When it actually comes time to apply the fertilizer to the lawn, you should never use a chemical fertilizer. This is because chemical fertilizers leave chemicals on the lawn that can be potentially dangerous to the environment and yourself. It would be a good idea to use a good, organic fertilizer and if you are unsure as to which one to use, take a few lawn soil samples to have them analyzed. The results will come back and you will be told which fertilizer best suits your soils needs.

Overall you can purchase organic fertilizer in all good garden stores. Don’t forget that you should also thoroughly water the lawn to help it to grow properly. You will not need to water the lawn every single day and if you choose to use sprinklers, you should ideally use them between midnight and eight o clock in the morning.

About the Author:

Andrew Caxton is a freelance writer for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . For additional information on landscaping lawn mower review subjects have a look at his web.






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How Keeping A Medical Journal Can Improve Your Health Care

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

I am a two-time survivor of cancer. Chemotherapy did significant damage to my heart and lungs.* Because of this I have spent a lot of time in the health care system. I have an ology problem. I have more ologists in my life than I know what to do with. I have a Cardiologist, Neurologist, Urologist, Anesthesiologist, Hematologist, Oncologist, Pulmonologist, Rheumatologist and a Nephrologist. My brain is not able to keep up with just one of these. If you have any chronic illness then you understand the dilemma that I have. How does a person keep up with all of this? The simple answer is by keeping a medical journal. It does not matter if you have one doctor in your life or like me a dozen, keeping a medical journal will not only help you manage your health care but it will improve the quality of the care you get as well.

There are four sections that I keep in my medical journal. There is a section for notes I take at the doctor’s office, a section for questions I have for the doctors, a section for research and a section for the drugs I take. Each one of the sections has a purpose and each can help insure improve the quality of care you receive.

The first section is I have in my journal is for notes I take at the doctors office. This is important for two reasons. It is hard to remember the things you talk to your doctor about when you get home, much less to remember it a month later when you are seeing a different doctor. Create a separate page or section for each doctor you see. When you have a chronic illness you have different doctors from different specialties that you see. This helps you keep up with what you have talked about with each. Always take notes while you are at your appointment with the doctor. It is important to get the information down when it is fresh in your mind. It is ok to be brief with your notes while you are in the room with the doctor because you can sit down before you leave the medical office and finish them. Remember to date your entries for the doctor visit section of your journal. If for any reason you need to go to court then these notes are admissible.

The second section is your research section. As you look over your notes from your doctor visit if there is anything you do not understand you can research it. This research can be on the Internet, asking friends and family or talking with others in a support group for your condition. Personally I use all three. While in the doctor’s office, if we talk about something I do not understand, I put it in my notes. Sometimes I even ask the doctor to spell the term. You are the one who has power in making your medical decisions. These decisions are best made with as much understanding as possible. When you get home from an appointment go over your notes and see if there is anything you need to have more information about. Then write this in question form in your research section. Say your doctor says that your hematocrit in your CBC is off. First of all you ask your doctor what that means. If after his explanation you feel you would like to have more information you can look it up. For example he tells you that your hematocrit showed that your white blood cell count was elevated you can lookup to see what that means.

The third is a very important section. In fact if you only have one section this is the one to have. It is the questions you want to ask your doctor. All of us have been to the doctor some time and after we left we remember that we forgot to ask the doctor something. This helps prevent that from happening. This should include questions from your self and from your medical support team. First if there are any questions you have after looking over your notes from a doctor visit write it down. If while doing any research a question comes up you write it down. If a question comes up while talking with friends and family, someone in your medical support team or condition related support group you write it down. Before you go to a doctor visit you go over these questions and write down all that are relevant to discuss with this doctor. This way when you go to the appointment all the questions I want to ask are right there in front of you.

The last section is for drugs. This section lists all the drugs you are on. Every time you see a new doctor they want to know what drugs you are taking. It also should list all the drugs you have been on before. It is important when you stop taking a drug to write down why you stopped taking them. If the doctor takes you off of a drug because it is not working you should write that down. It is really important to write down any drugs your doctor takes you off of because of side effects. You should have a page in this section that lists drugs you can not take and the reason you cannot take them. I have been taken off so many drugs because of side effects that I cannot remember them all. When a new doctor recommends a drug to me I look to make sure it is not one I have stopped taking for a specific reason.

After a while this notebook may get large. You do not have to carry it to every appointment. Usually I take a spiral notebook that includes the questions I want to ask and room for me to take notes on. When I see a new doctor or I am seeing several doctors about the same condition I take the whole notebook with me.

If you keep up with your medical journal I am sure you will find that the quality of your health care will improve.

* For those of you considering Chemo this is a rare occurrence of two of the specific chemo drugs I was taking.

* For more information about a medical support team look up my article “How to make the most of your health care with a medical support team.”

About the Author:

Rusty Ford, Managing editor of http://arthritis-symptom.com/






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Cup Massage

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Cup massages are a form of massage therapy that isn’t all that common. Most people when they think of a massage think of a typical massage of the muscles Perhaps a Swedish massage, a shiatsu massage, or even perhaps a hot lotion massage comes to mind. Even people with serious back disorders and injuries go only so far as having electronic stem massages, which involve attaching small electrodes to tight muscles so that electronic charges can be sent in to stimulate the muscle. Or perhaps they will get a deep massage followed by heat and ice. Cup massages are serious massages that use little rubber cups which are attached at various points to get a deep, deep massage going. Cup massages are reserved for people with serious or chronic joint or muscle disorder. They are not used unless there is a serious need for them. They are usually performed in half hour to hour long sessions. There are different types of cup massages for different ailments, and there are of course different ways to alleviate such severe chronic pain. Cup massages can help severely atrophied muscles and chronic joint ailments, this is true, however, many people who have these issues can’t use cup therapy because people with certain side effects have problems with cup therapy. It can be dangerous for them. In fact, many people with chronic disorders also suffer from varicose veins, and it is not healthy for these people to utilize cup therapy. Also people with heart problems should not use cup therapy. For these people, people who still need to alleviate sever pain that they must deal with constantly, there are other avenues such as acupuncture, blood letting, and they can alter diet and improve their nutrition as well. Acupuncture is the Chinese art of utilizing needles to alleviate pain and pressure and it can help some people that benefit from cupping, or cup massages. It uses many needles that locate pressure points and nerve endings to stimulate deep muscles. Cupping, like Acupuncture, is a Chinese form of massage therapy. Blood letting is a bit more complex of a procedure, where blood is actually drained from an area where there is swelling that has resulted from pooling blood. It is more serious than either cupping or acupuncture. Again, this procedure is not something that one should try of their own volition. All of these methods should be administered by experienced professionals, and should be carefully considered before they are undertaken with all health concerns considered.

While cup massages and cupping techniques are clearly not a first option when it comes to the alleviation of simple minor ache and pain, it is, in some cases of chronic disorders, one of the few ways to alleviate severe pain. Clearly it is not a procedure to be taken lightly or to be used to help a pain that comes and goes, but if one suffers from agonizing constant deep pain in muscle structure or a joint, then perhaps cup massages should be considered.

About the Author:

Kate Steplton http://healthandbeautyjournal.com - More thoughts from different authors on a variety of subjects






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A Safer Way To Get Arthritic Pain Relief.

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

Pain relief from “Over The Counter” or prescribed drugs, while providing a degree of pain relief, can work against you in the form of dangerous side-effects. Natural, or herbal, medications will not create dangerous side-effects when properly used.

All forms of arthritis involve some degree of pain. Patterns of pain differ among the different forms and parts of the body that suffer from one form of arthritis or another.

Five of the most common forms of arthritis are:

1… Osteoarthritis

2… Rheumatoid arthritis

3… Septic arthritis

4… Gout and pseudo gout

5… Juvenile arthritis

Osteoarthritis gives us the most pain during night time hours.

Rheumatoid arthritis gives a good deal of pain in the morning. One interesting point is that this type of arthritis doesn’t show any arthritic symptoms after a morning shower.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. It is a disabling and painful inflammatory condition, which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction.

Septic arthritis is bacteria forms in the joints and causes inflammation.

Gout, or metabolic arthritis, is a disease caused by inborn uric acid metabolism. Middle-aged males are the most prevalent victims of gout and is hereditary in nature. The most famous victim of gout is King Henry VIII(1491-1547).

Juvenile Chronic Arthritis (JCA) targets children between the ages of one and four. Currently there is known cause for this type of arthritis.

In elderly people and children, pain may not be the main feature, and the patient simply moves less (elderly) or refuses to use the affected limb (children).

A physical examination will confirms the diagnosis of an onset of arthritis. Diagnostic radiography is often used to follow progression or assess severity in a more quantitative manner.

Many steroids and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, both over the counter and prescription drugs, are used as a pain reliever for the different forms of arthritis.

While it’s true that these types of drugs can, and do, a very good job of providing pain relief there can be a trade off in getting arthritic pain relief; side effects from the drugs.

An adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication and can begin when the drug is first taken or when increasing or discontinuing a treatment.

Some of the adverse side effects are:

1… Liver Damage

2… Kidney Damage

3… A rise or lowering of blood pressure

4… Muscle pain in the arms and legs.

5… Weakness in the arms and legs

6… Fatigue

The harmful side effects must be pointed out when a drug is advertised on TV by law. It may be my imagination but it seems that a faster pace and lower volume is used when the side effects are mentioned.

I believe that is to downplay the possible harm and risk involved. In the real world the sale of the drug comes first. One would have to wonder if the benefit of the drug is worth the risk when considering the possible side effects.

PAIN RELIEF NATURALLY

People in all continents have long used hundreds, if not thousands, of indigenous plants for treatment of various ailments dating back to prehistory. Using herbs is a folk and traditional medicinal practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts.

The healing properties of plants is an ancient practice. Research has identified specific active anti-inflammatory ingredients in herb. In animal studies, these herbs have been shown to reduce inflammation significantly in several ways and improved blood flow to the joints.

Many of these natural herbs help to ease symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. One herb ingredient, knows as Boswellia, can be taken internally as well as applied topically to affected joints to relieve inflammation associated with these joint disorders.

The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years.

Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the earth for phytochemicals (pronounced photo-chemicals and is a non-nutritive bioactive plant substance, such as a flavonoid or carotenoid, considered to have a beneficial effect on human health.) and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, many modern drugs have been derived from plants.

Dangerously low blood pressure may result from the combination of an herbal remedy that lowers blood pressure together with prescription medicine that has the same effect. In particular, many herbs should be avoided during pregnancy.

Some herbal remedies have the potential to cause adverse drug interactions when used in combination with various prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. This essentially means that you should not mix over the counter or prescription drugs with herbal type drugs. It really isn’t necessary.

About the Author:

Richard Tolar is the survivor of herniated back discs and a ruptured cerebral aneurysm that led to chronic pain problems. Here is how he is handling the pain problems associated with those chronic pains and moving away from prescription drugs.http://discovermorenow.com/painfree/howitworks.php






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A Few Simple Home Remedies For Curing Strep Throat

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

The tissue inside the throat is very vulnerable to foreign bacteria and microorganisms and it can be infected very easily because the air we breathe passes through the throat so if we breathe any viruses we are at high risk of getting a strep throat.

Strep throat is a very common condition that affects many people especially because it is very contagious. Its symptoms are sore throat, difficulties in swallowing, fever, headaches and a general feeling of weakness. Strep throat can cause serious complications if nothing is done to treat it.

The treatment for strep throat is usually antibiotics because they can quickly kill the viruses responsible for the infection, but there other cures for this illness that are natural and that can also cure the infection. Natural cures are preferred by many people because they are healthy and they can do other beneficial thing for the body, like healing other damaged tissues and improving the defense system. Here are some simple home remedies help fighting strep throat without taking antibiotics. You should also ask your doctor for an advice because sometimes the infection is too advanced and only antibiotics can cure it in short time before it gets worse.

Certain things can increase the risk of an infection. Among these the most dangerous are cigarette smoke and alcohol, both can irritate and damage the throat if it is already infected. So ceasing alcohol consumption and smoking is recommended if you want to protect not only your throat but your whole body.

In order to prevent a strep throat infection you should stay away from those that are already infected, and kindly ask them to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing. Washing your hands often can reduce some of the risks because you can touch something with bacteria on it and then eat or touch your mouth and get infected.

If you have strep throat you should get a lot of rest and sleep because the body can recover while it’s rested. Hot tea and soup can do good to the irritated tissue inside the throat, and drinking a lot of water can relieve the pain when you swallow.

You should also try to eat soft foods that go easy down the throat, like milk with cereals, some fruits, eggs, soups, or yoghurt. Avoid foods that have acid and spicy foods, as these foods can irritate the throat even more.

Try maintaining the humidity from the air to a raised level. Moisturized air relieves the symptoms of the dry strep throat.

Finally, stay away from polluted environments, with a lot of chemicals and smoke as these are also irritant factors that can make strep throat worse.

Feel free to try any of the home remedies for strep throat but if you see that the pain and symptoms are not lighter consult a doctor because you may have a stronger infection that can only be cured with medication.

About the Author:

For more resources on different strep throat, strep throat in adults, strep throat symptoms please review http://www.strep-throat-center.com/home-remedy.htm






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Top Eleven Tips For Stamping Out Arthritis Pain!

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

There’s an old joke that goes something like this… A guy goes to see his arthritis specialist. He says, “Doc, whenever I do this, it hurts. What do I do?”

The doctor strokes his chin and then replies, “Stop doing it.”

Now, this may not be far from the truth. Here are 11 simple things you can do to rid yourself of those pesky arthritis aches and pains:

1. If there is a particular activity that causes pain, either modify it, find someone else to do it, or stop doing it altogether.

2. When lifting or carrying items, a person should use the largest or strongest joints for tasks to avoid putting excessive stress on smaller joints. An example would be carrying a bag of groceries. It’s better to use the shoulders and upper arms rather than the hands or wrists.

3. Maintain ideal weight. Too many people with arthritis are overweight. The extra weight has its greatest impact on weight bearing areas such as the low back, hips and knees.

4. If there is inflammation of the joints, avoid keeping the joints bent. An example would be a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and swollen knees. Although it’s more comfortable to sleep with a pillow under the knees, the long term complication of this is that the knees will assume a bent posture and ultimately cause more problems for the patient.

5. Be careful when doing any kind of lifting. If something must be lifted, it’s a good idea to gauge the weight first. If, it’s heavy, a person should get some help. If it’s something that is not too heavy, then using the legs to lift, thereby avoiding back strain, is a good idea.

6. If there is a fountain of youth, it is exercise. There is no excuse for not exercising regularly. Range of motion exercises help maintain joint flexibility. Strengthening exercises help maintain joint integrity. Non-impact aerobic exercise helps with blood flow to the joints, increases endorphin production which helps reduce pain), and promotes cardiovascular health. A person should exercise regularly. If any sort of weight-bearing is difficult, one should consider water-based exercises.

7. Get plenty of rest and maintain a regular sleep schedule. Some people will stay up late and sleep in late, then expect to be able to get to sleep at a “normal” time the next evening. It doesn’t work that way. It’s a good idea to establish a routine. Naps during the day can be beneficial for some people. Naps should not be overdone though since daytime sleep can interfere with getting to sleep at night.

8. Pacing oneself when there are a lot of chores to do is common sense. Common sense, though, is often uncommon. Use a planner to list the activities that must be done in terms of importance. Try to delegate unimportant matters when possible.

9. Nutritional supplements such as dietary fish oil, and glucosamine/chondroitin can be effective for some people.

10. Eat right. Dietary intake of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful. Also, lowering the amount of foods that are high in omega-6 can also be effective. If the arthritis in question is gout, eliminating high purine foods is mandatory… at least until the gout medicines begin to work.

11. If the above measures don’t help, see a rheumatologist as soon as possible.

Now… what I said at the beginning is that these were simple things. I didn’t say they were easy. There is a difference. But if you’re serious about helping yourself, you must accept responsibility and get to work. Now.

About the Author:

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For more info: Arthritis Treatment






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