My Blog

For a disease that is as common at Arthritis, there still remain a lot of misconceptions today. One of the leading misconceptions is that Arthritis is a disease that only older people can develop. Unfortunately for us younger people, that is just not the case. In fact, Physicians have reported that most diagnosis for arthritis usually happens with people under the age of 65 years old.

My aunt was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her wrist a few years ago when she was only 29 years old. I believe many of the advertisements for arthritis medication on television today is where that misconception is coming from. If you watch most of those commercials they show elderly people using the medication that is why I believe us younger people believe that we can not get arthritis until we are older.

Therefore we are not taking any precautions. Since I am talking about advertisements, another misconception they have given people is that arthritis can be cured. But that is just not true. There is still no known cure for arthritis. There are medications to help treat the pain and relieve inflammation temporarily but not take it away permanently. I wish those advertisers would take more time to inform everyone more of the risks.

Tendons are tough bands that attach muscles to the bones. They are found throughout the entire body. Tendinitis is when the tendons inflammation and are irritated. Anytime the motion of the tendon is complicated the tendon will become inflamed and tendinitis will occur. This can be caused by many activities, including gardening, raking, carpentry, shoveling, painting, tennis, gold and other activities.

Tendonitis is more common in adult over the age of 40 years old as tendons in this age tolerate a lot less stress and can easily tear. The most common areas of tendonitis occur in the base of the thumb, elbow, shoulder, hip and the knee. Some symptoms include pain in the tendon that has inflamed and loss of motion in the area as well.  Like anything else, you can avoid Tendonitis. You always want to slow into an activity, slow build up.

Stretching prior too, even just getting your worst muscles relaxed can also help. If pain begins to occur during those activities, it is smart to stop at least for the day and see if it recurs. If you do end up with Tendinitis there are some ways to treat it. Avoiding activities that may cause your problem to persist, making sure to rest the tendon that has been injured, icing the area and of course taking some anti inflammatory medication.

There are so many different supplements out there today, that is it hard to know what it does for you and how or if it works. Pharmaceutical companies make sure to advertise their product but they never really educate us on what they are selling. Most of the time all they care about is getting paid.

Chondroitin is a supplement that has helped people with Arthritis. Helped relieve their pain and rebuild joints. The Chondroitin is a natural form of cartilage that comes from animal sources such as cows and sharks. When it is given to a human the body rebuilds new bone, tensions and cartilage. It also helps reduce the pain from arthritis. Researches believe that the Chondroitin helps draw fluid into the cartilage making it spongy and flexible.

Chondroitin has seemed to be safe for most people, fortunately Chondroitin users have not reported any sever side affects. Mild side affects that have been reported have been nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea and/or constipation, stomach pain and heart burn. Chondroitin can take up to a few months of treatment before you feel it working. Just like any other medication, it is important to always remember that the medication may not work for everyone.

Today in this world so many people take medications that they really know nothing about. I myself have been guilty of that, if the doctor prescribes it and I just take it as recommended but do no research on it. When it comes to Glucosamine, it is no different. At least five million people in the United States are taking it, but few of those people actually know what it is or how it works for them. So here is a little insight on what it is and how it can work for you.

Glucosamine is an amino sugar compound that is naturally produced by the body. It is most often found in the cartilage. It helps in repairing damaged cartilage, building new cartilage, cushioning joints, relieving pain and reducing inflammation. So how does this help Arthritis? Well, Osteoarthritis is caused by the cartilage wearing down or tearing in the joints. Eventually is can lead to loss of the cartilage of one or more joints.

Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a cushion between the bones of the joints. It commonly affects the hands, feet, spine and large weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees. Evidence has shown that Glucosamine helps our bodies repair the damaged cartilage. It also helps prevent arthritis; it protects the joints from self destruction. It doesn’t repair everything fully, but it does help the problem become bearable.

We are constantly hearing of new products claiming that they are the best in helping joint pain.  It is virtually impossible to avoid ads on Television and also in magazines that state that they will help with joint problems or even eliminate your Arthritis pain. People these days do not want just the pain relief, but they want their joint function restored. Unfortunately, there really is not any medication that will eliminate your arthritis, but there is a few supplements that will help improve your function and decrease the inflammation.

It is a temporary relief and helps with your day to day activity. They demand for joint supplements are growing and they do work with mild side-effects. There are constant clinical trials and studies of research to see which medications work the best and improve your joint longevity. No matter what joint supplements you do take, there are other things you can do.

Early research has shown that Vitamin E also has shown benefit to help with joint problems. It is known for helping to reduce inflammatory which can help relieve pain. Exercising can also help decrease your need to use medication. When you overload your joints with exercise it can help the joint adapt to the movement. Sometimes as little walking 10-20 minutes three times a day will help decrease the amount of osteoarthritis. So no matter what medication you choose, remember there is more you can do then just depend on medication.