Seniors Matter(s): Arthritis

Here I go again.

I hope to review some very positive components of aging, yet new challenges seem to arise all the time. I am now dealing with arthritis and not liking it at all!

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune disorder that encompasses a group of painful conditions, involving inflammation and stiffness of the joints. There are many different types of arthritis that can occur in any joint in the body, including the hands, shoulders, knees, hips, and ankles. The condition develops more often at older ages and in women, but people of any age and gender are susceptible to it.

Arthritis occurs when your immune system attacks the lining — known as the synovial membrane — surrounding your joints instead of protecting the joints, as it should. This fibrum deposit may, in fact, cause the pain. This causes inflammation and stiffness that eventually permanently damage the cartilage and bone as the disease progresses.

The exact causes of auto-immune diseases remain a mystery, although most researchers believe that environmental factors trigger auto-immune responses. Joint stiffness is often followed by joint tenderness or pain during movement or while at rest. This also affects both sides of the body equally.

In early RA, the most common sites for pain are the fingers and wrists. You may also experience pain in your knees, feet, ankles, or shoulders.

Taking the following steps can help you continue living comfortably:
 

• Medical consultation is an obvious place to start. Your doctor can analyze and evaluate the extent of the arthritis.
• Physiotherapy is also a good place to start. The exact course of treatment depends on the type of arthritis you have and the progression of the disease in your joints.
• Your doctor will probably recommend an over-the-counter analgesic, such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, to help with the pain and inflammation.
• Prescription medication options include duloxetine for osteoarthritis and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for RAs. However, my research has shown that these medications only mask the pain and can never truly improve the situation in the long run.
• Physical therapy can also be effective for improving muscle tone and strength, helping improve range of motion in some cases.
• Occupational therapy focuses on helping you learn new ways to do common tasks to put less strain on the affected joints.

In more severe cases, these treatments may not help, and you may need steroid injections to relieve pain or even surgery.

Surgical options include procedures to realign bones, as well as those to completely replace damaged joints.

Regular exercise is important. When my arthritis is causing me pain, the last thing I want to do is exercise. However, research shows that gentle exercise can help reduce the symptoms of arthritis by strengthening the muscles around the joints. Exercising also helps you maintain a lower body weight, which puts less stress on the joints. Low-impact exercises, such as water aerobics, swimming, yoga and the elliptical, are ideal choices.

Don't push too hard. Start with 10 minutes, take rest days, and ice joints after exercising. Consult your doctor to find out which types of exercise are best for you. Although your range of motion may also be affected by pain, it’s important to engage in regular, gentle exercise.

Diet is important and, therein, lies the rub. My lifestyle may exacerbate my pain. Seems that I may be the source of my own grief. The China Study stated that “we are what we eat.” This, again, seems to be the case with arthritis.

As with diabetes, excess sugar intake appears to be a large contributor. Eating a balanced and healthy diet is especially important if you are living with arthritis. In addition to maintaining a healthy weight, consuming the right foods can help reduce inflammation. Foods high in healthy fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, are especially beneficial. Broccoli, blueberries, kelp, papaya, yogurt, and green tea all have antioxidants that help alleviate the pain.

Pasta, white bread, fried meats, ice cream and processed foods with hidden sucrose, exacerbate the problem. Seems the whole food plant-based diet again shows results.

Since reading The China Study in 2002, I have slowly slipped away from its recommendations. Looks as if arthritis may be the impetus to my rethinking my eating habits.

Turmeric, an earthy flavour, also used to add a beautiful yellow colour to dishes. Turmeric is the dried root of the plant, Curcuma longa. It is related to, and similar in size to, ginger. Turmeric's flavour resembles a combination of ginger and pepper. It is used in Asia as a main ingredient in curries and to add colour to meals. Bromalin, ginger extract, papain also combat inflammation.

As with many of my topics, there is a plethora of information about arthritis, along with advice and available products. To explore this topic more, visit www.canada.ca/en/health-canada.html.

Looks as if I have another new lifelong friend. Let’s see where this one goes.

"Happiness, like unhappiness, is a proactive choice." – Steven Covey

If it is to be it is up to me!

‘Till next time!