Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category

Arthritis Foot Pain Information

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Arthritis Foot Pain

Arthritis is a disease of the joints. It usually shows when one start to age. The moment a person’s bones undergo considerable amount of wear and tear due to constantly using them throughout the years, developing a certain level of arthritis is likely. A human foot consists of 30 joints and 28 bones. With this number of joints that arthritis may possibly target, the tendency to develop foot arthritis, among other types of arthritis, is considerably higher.

The most common sign of foot arthritis would be pain or tenderness in and around the foot. The exact type of symptoms that a person may suffer would be different from one patient to another. There would also be stiffness or swelling in the area. People with foot arthritis would find it very difficult to walk because of the pain associated with it. Therefore, the patient’s mobility is drastically reduced.

The Diagnosis of Foot Arthritis

Foot arthritis is properly diagnosed by a medical doctor. The first thing they would do to determine the extent of the disease is to get your medical history as a patient. Doctors will start to ask you questions about your health condition, including all other diseases you could have acquired in the past. The amount of information they gather from you would then be used not only in the whole diagnosis process but also eventually in the treatment of the disease.

The most common questions a doctor asks would be the estimated time that the pain starts, whether or not it becomes worse during the night or every time you are in motion. It is also important for them to know if the pain just comes and goes.

Gait Analysis and Other Tests

After the question and answer phase of the diagnosis, the doctor may also perform a procedure called the gait analysis. The gait analysis will show how the bones in the foot, including the legs, behave when you walk. This analysis will also measure the stride, as well as the strength of the feet and ankles.

The results generated by the gait analysis will then be used in conjunction with the most common diagnostic tests performed in hospitals and clinics. These tests would include x-ray, bone scan, CT scan, and MRI. An x-ray would effectively show your doctor the spacing or the distance between the bones. It is also essential to determine the actual shape of the bone itself.

The other types of diagnostic test would only be performed should the need for it arises. The x-ray is the simplest test of all. The other tests, like the MRI for instance, are only used if the capabilities of the x-ray are not enough or if the doctor needs more details about the patient’s condition.

The Treatment of Foot Arthritis

Foot arthritis, the moment it is diagnosed, should be treated right away. Of course, the treatment procedure that has to be carried out depends entirely on the professional assessment of the health expert. There are surgical and non-surgical ways of treating arthritis. The non-surgical ways would be the ones first performed as these are non-invasive techniques.

The first line of treatment for foot arthritis would be the use of pain relievers and other anti-inflammatory medicines. These are common over-the-counter medicines that you can get on local drugstores even without prescription. But for severe cases, certain types of medicines need to be used. Your doctor would be able to provide you with the right one to provide the fastest relief from pain.

The Correct Footwear

Aside from medicines, arch supports may also be required. Arch supports are devices that are inserted inside the soles of the shoes. These devices are known to ease the foot from possible swelling because of the use of improper types of footwear. Whenever needed, doctors may prescribe custom-made shoes. Doctors may specifically ask you to use shoes with stiffer soles and a rocker bottom. These shoes can provide the foot with the right level of comfort so that an arthritis attack won’t be triggered.

Foot arthritis is a disease that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. This is the only way that possible attacks from foot arthritis pain are blocked. Failure to do so would only cause intense discomfort to the patient.

For more information visit our other sites at Sore Feet Relief.net

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Arthritis Pain Relief – 3 Best Tips

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

If you have arthritis foot pain or osteoarthritis you know how your joints can hurt. Aches and pains galore. You may often wonder whether you should be moving them or not. However research has shown that moving the joints is best. Staying active is the key. You want to move those joints as much as possible. Move around throughout the day and don’t sit for endless hours.

By moving your body you increase the blood flow which helps to lubricate the joints which helps in reducing or relieving pain. Yes many people with arthritis are trying to figure out ways to lubricate the joints. And the easiest way is to get the blood moving. It will also help your brain and may help prevent dementia.

When you get up in the morning you may be stiff. But as soon as you move around you get the blood flowing and lubricating the joints. Of course moving will also help with weight loss and help if you have weight problems also. And the blood moving to your brain will help you think better and then think even more about moving!

1. You want to think about low impact first of all. You don’t want to jar the joints yet you want to get them moving. For the best cardio you want to keep one foot on the ground at all times. The best exercise would be walking.

If your arthritis pain is severe you can try swimming or water aerobics. Water helps eliminate impact and helps soothe joints. Try to find salt water pools instead of chemical-laden chlorine pools. Many clubs are going to salt water pools these days. Riding a bike is another good low impact exercise activity. You can actually burn 500 calories an hour while cycling. If you aren’t physically capable of riding a bike then try a recumbent bike. Especially if you have back pain or back problems or injuries. Recumbent bikes are fun and some can be close to the floor if that’s a requirement.

2. Keeping steady. You want to avoid activity that has a lot of pivots, turns stops and starts. Tennis can be jarring but is an excellent lifetime activity if you just take it slow and easy. Many arthritics play tennis and just play a slower game. If you’ve never learned it’s never too late. There are even tennis tournaments for people in their nineties.

If you’re so inclined, cross country skiing or snowshoeing burn as many calories as jogging and without the stress. For inside activities that will help the joints use an elliptical machine. It provides very little impact and is safe for your joints. Joints absorb shock so avoid any jarring in whatever sport or activity you participate in.

3. Strengthen you joints. You want to build up and tone the muscles that surround your affected joints. These could be muscles in the back, knees or hips for example. You can get significant arthritis pain relief and pain reduction by improving your posture and your overall joint mobility.

If you follow some of the tips in this article and get your body moving as much as possible, you’ll start to notice less stiffness and joint pain and enjoy significant arthritis pain relief. There are many other exercises you can do to help lubricate the joints. Keep moving is the most important advice for anyone with joint pain or arthritis. Remember that moving the body is the best joint lubricant.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

One of the most prevalent types of arthritis afflicting people of different races and of any age is Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The disease appears earlier than osteoarthritis at anytime of a persons life from infancy to old age but it usually upsets people in their 20’s to 40’s. Women are more prone to acquire the disease than men although this is evened out when the men reach their 50’s.

The most familiar place for this kind of arthritis is in the foot, hands, wrists and lastly the ankles. But most cases are found in the foot where more joints are put under a lot of pressure. Creating arthritis foot pain. As a joint disease, it is also symmetrical in which it affects both joints of the body involved.

An acute illness accompanied by high fever with intense inflammation of the joints could mark the start of a rheumatoid arthritis. But the cause of the disease is unknown and its existence among children known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis has been dubbed as a mystery.

Several views have been provided to explain the occurrence of the disease. One such view postulates that the body’s antibodies, produced to fight against infection, actually attack the joints which results in swelling and redness. The cartilage and bone may eventually be damaged as the inflammation spreads to the tissues around the joint.

The study of genetics has found a certain chemical marker among those positive with rheumatoid arthritis leading to the belief that a virus or a bacteria actually triggers its development. Some say that sudden and traumatic injuries like ankle sprains would eventually have the affected joints to be vulnerable to the disease in the future. Symptoms may also develop through severe stress, obesity that aggravates most arthritic conditions and bowel disorders like colitis.

Treatment for the disease does not include its cure as there is no existing cure for it. But treatments are available to relieve pain and discomfort. Drug therapies are available to control the spread of the disease which in its severe form could affect other parts of the body. Aspirin and ibuprofen as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used.

Cortisone shots or steroid injections may also be helpful to relieve intense pain. Drugs known as DMADs are also available if NSAIDs does not work. Surgery is sometimes the last resort if all the other traditional means are ineffective to ease the pain and the progression of the disease.

Among children, the disease is outgrown while older people get stuck with it for a long time. Children are afflicted around 5 to 16 years old where diagnosis is quite difficult because they could easily find ways to ignore the pain. Even if they do get treated for the disease or the disease may go away, the chances that it will come back in later years is high. Its treatment is different from that of the adult rheumatoid arthritis especially on its drug medications.

Children or adults afflicted with the disease are encouraged to do exercise to strengthen their bones and help them move but it should be guided by a therapist. Proper treatment of the disease and any other alternative plan of action after the diagnosis should be discussed with your doctor.

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7 Home Remedies for Gout

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Gout is a general state of arthritis. It has been identified for more than 2000 years. It is a situation that causes pain, inflammation and swelling in one or more of the joints. It generally attacks a single joint suddenly and deeply, most commonly the first metatarsophalangeal (big toe). Gouty joints demonstrate the most visibly red signs of inflammation of any of the 100 types of arthritis. Gout is often linked to an inherited abnormality in the body to process uric acid.

Gout can be found in the Feet? Do not mistake arthritis foot pain with gout.

Gout can also emerge in an ear, heel of the hand, small hand joints, ankles, knees, elbows, or wrists with inflammation, swelling and deep pain from the build-up of uric acid crystals. Gout is linked with high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and uric acid kidney stones.

Causes of Gout

Gout is a disease caused by an inflammatory reply to the formation of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals which produce secondary to hyperuricemia. Gout attacks are caused by dump of crystallized uric acid in the joint. Uric acid is a misuse product in your blood that is removed by the kidneys and eliminated in urine.
Gout takes place most commonly in the big toe because uric acid is sensitive to temperature changes.

Here is a list of some best Home Remedies for Gout:

Home Remedies for Gout

1) Apples are considered important in Home Remedy for Gout therefore Eat an apple after every meal.

2) Take out the juice of half lemon and put it in 1 glass of water and drink it thrice in a day.

3) One more effective Home Remedy for Gout is the juice of French beans. Drink half cup of this juice everyday for about a month to treat gout.

4) The cherry, sweet or sour, is measured well in gout treatment. The patient should consume about fifteen to twenty five cherries a day in beginning. Fresh cherries are best, but you can also use canned cherries. This is another superior Home Remedy for Gout.

5) Raw vegetable juices are used for gout handling. Carrot juice mixed with the juices of beet and cucumber, is valuable.

6) Lime is a well source in treating gout. The citric acid present in lime is a solvent of the uric acid which is the main cause of this disease. The juice of half a lime, squeezed into a glass of water, should be taken twice on a daily basis.

7) A charcoal bath is a good Home Remedy for Gout. For this mix in old basin one half cup of charcoal powder with water until a paste is made. Place affected foot into the basin and add water until the foot is enclosed. Steep your foot in the charcoal bath for thirty to sixty minutes.

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Top 7 Tips For Treat And Prevent Arthritis

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Arthritis is basically a packaging problem. Your joints, remarkable and elaborate hinges, are cushioned by cartilage. They are held together with various other tissues, including muscles and tendons. Lubrication is in the form of some oily goop called synovial fluid, which is released by the synovial lining of the joints. If you have osteoarthritis, the kind that most frequently coincides with aging, the cartilage around the joints starts to thin down or disappear. That is not your fault. What’s more, it is not always preventable, either. The runner-up, rheumatoid arthritis, is far less common, more mysterious, and equally pain producing. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease. Therefore, here are some ways that you can use to prevent such disease.

1. Move These Joints

To keep the pain of arthritis from getting an even tighter grip on you, get yourself on an exercise program. If you are over 60, start with low-impact aerobic activities such as 20-minute walks or exercises in a swimming pool at least three or four times per week. Any aerobic exercise program should be matched to your physical capacity. If a person has been inactive for a period of time, then start with something like a five-minute walk in a couple of times per week, and then slowly start to increase your distance as you feel more comfortable.

2. Pepper Yourself

You may not like hot peppers on your sandwich, but you might like hot-pepper cream for arthritis relief. Capsaicin cream, made from the active ingredient in hot peppers, has been shown in studies to ease arthritis pain when used regularly. You can buy this cream over the counter. Follow instructions on the label, wash your hands thoroughly after application, and keep this stuff away from your eyes and other mucous membranes. It can really burn.

3. Ease The Burden

Arthritis gets worse more rapidly in overweight individuals. If you lose 5 to 10 pounds, it considerably lightens the load on all of your weight-bearing joints – hips, knees, ankles, and feet.

4. Vary Your Terrain

Walking is always recommended but it is important to not get into a rut. If you walk the same exact path every day, then you are landing on the same part of your foot each and every day and you are putting stress on your knees and hips the exact same way every day. For the sake of interest as well as exercise, seek out new terrain like hills, fields, and pathways as well as flat road or sidewalk. Arthritis Foot Pain is not what you want to get.

5. Ask For Alternative Oils

If you are not a fish-eater, you should pay a visit to the nearest health food store. Look for either evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, or fish oil. All contain the same omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish. If you take one teaspoon of any of these each day, it may lightly ease some of the inflammatory aspects of arthritis. If you decide to take capsules, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label.

6. Try A Cold Pack

If you have swelling, especially after any physical activity, put some ice with a thin towel wrapped around it on the area around the affected joint. Ice the area for 15 to 20 minutes after exercise to reduce the discomfort and also minimize the amount of swelling.

7. Give Yourself A Hot Wax

A hot-wax treatment can provide soothing relief if your hands are aching from arthritis. The treatment is available at many hospitals, but it is less expensive to treat yourself at home. A professional therapist should instruct on its appropriate use before you try this at home. For a hot-wax treatment kit, call an orthopedic supply store to check availability. Heat the wax in the heating unit, apply it to your hands, and wrap them in plastic gloves for 10 minutes. You should feel some relief. The beauty of the at-home hot-wax treatment is that the wax can be reused for several weeks. Just be careful when you are using it around children.

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