Autoimmune Arthritis: What You Should Know
Have you ever experienced swollen joints and muscle stiffness? Do the fingertips have bone nodules? Do both knees hurt and swell when you walk? Have you ever been diagnosed with “inflammatory arthritis” and then told that your only recourse is to take medications that may or may not temporarily help the inflammation, but not the disease itself? If it is indeed arthritis, how do you determine what type and what natural changes you can make to your lifestyle to reduce inflammation? There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, and each type has a variety of natural methods to help alleviate your secondary conditions, addressing your root cause and primary condition. Currently, 46 million people have arthritis in the US, and that number is expected to rise to 70 million by the year 2030. Let’s look at the most popular types, rheumatoid Y Psoriasic arthritisY Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)listed below:
Rheumatoid arthritis: A chronic disease that affects nearly 2.1 million Americans, approximately 75% of those affected are women. According to the Journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism, approximately 300,000 children under the age of 18 have arthritis or a rheumatic condition, which is approximately 1 in 250 American children. It is also the most popular cause of disability in American adults for the last twenty years. It tends to affect pairs of joints; for example, both knees and both hands, and can also affect the spine. It is NOT structurally based and can be aggravated by the body’s reaction to inflammatory foods and improper diet. It is closely related to a condition called “Runaway Boy Syndrome”.
Psoriasic arthritis: A chronic disease of the skin and inflammation that is most common in people in their 40s or 50s, affecting both sexes equally. It can occur in many joints; most often on the tips of the fingers (distal phalanges) and toes. They look like a pair of mini nodules that are hard and tender. Approximately 80% of patients suffering from this type of arthritis develop the skin disease. Psoriasis earlier in life. Generally milder than its cousin, rheumatoid arthritis, it does not affect the paired joints. Symptoms unique to this condition include bone nodules on the fingers, pitted nails, sausage-like appearance on the fingers and toes, eye inflammation, and grayish spots on the elbows, knees, and lower spine.
Lupus (SLE): another cousin of rheumatoid Y Psoriasic arthritis, Lupus occurs in about 2 million people in the US In fact, more people suffer with Lupus that cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, Y multiple sclerosis set. This condition is nine times more frequent in women than in men. Interestingly, the term “Lupus” means “wolf”. Exclusive symptoms of Lupus they are a “red butterfly rash” on the face that spreads below the eyes, across the bridge of the nose, and onto the cheeks. This red coloring, “erythematous“, means “redness”. It affects many parts of the body and is often accompanied by skin rashes, fever, fatigue and kidney problems. Lupus You can also have “flare-ups,” often caused by medications, the environment, inflammatory foods, and stress.
The three arthritises listed above are classified as autoimmune diseases and occur when the body attacks its own cells, causing joint swelling, redness, stiffness, pain, and can cause deformity in the bone and surrounding soft tissue. These conditions can also affect various soft tissues and organs in the body, including the digestive tract (where most of your immune system is located). Because autoimmune arthritis has a genetic component, affected individuals can react in a variety of ways.
Chiropractic care can help many people affected by this type of arthritis gently mobilizing the joints and reducing pain with adjustments in the spine and extremities. Along with spinal correction by a structural based chiropractor, stretching is very important. Stretching helps decrease tension in the muscles and increases blood flow and oxygenation in the joints to promote healing.
Nutritionally, eating anti-inflammatory foods is extremely helpful, along with Omega-3 fish oils and glucosamine. Glucosamine may aid in the repair of cartilage, muscles, and ligaments by aiding in the production of glycosaminoglycans, a necessary molecule used in the formation and repair of joint cartilage. Check with your doctor before considering. Also, eating an anti-inflammatory diet is a must: Avoid all dairy (yes, even cheese), white flour-based foods, pasta, non-yam potatoes, and white rice, as they all cause bloating and bloating. Foods like pineapple, lemons, papayas, berries and ginger root, turmeric, green and white teas, kelp, broccoli, yams, shiitake mushrooms, and extra virgin olive oil are excellent natural anti-inflammatories.
There are several natural methods to treat autoimmune arthritis. Many people are looking more than ever for natural fixes to address the causes of autoimmune diseases, and not simply “patch or cover up” their pain and other associated secondary conditions.