Arthritis - osteo-arthritis, Rheumatoid & other types of arthritis :

Arthritis results in inflammation and soreness of the joints and it is suggested that this condition is related to the body's immune system.
Either the body is unable to produce enough antibodies to prevent viruses from entering the joints or the antibodies are unable to differentiate between viruses and healthy cells. This results in both cells and viruses being destroyed.
Arthritis may also result from an allergy or severe food intolerance to certain foods and / or chemicals.

Osteo-arthritis

This is the erosion of cartilage of the joint with accompanying pain and stiffness. Know as the 'wear and tear' arthritis which affects mainly over 50's. The areas most commonly affected are the hands, knees, spine or hips.
Cartilage is a smooth and soft covers the ends of bones and joints. It provides the smooth surface for the bones to slide against each other for movement. Over many years of use, the cartilage becomes thinner as it wears away. The rough surfaces of the bones rubbing against each other then start to cause inflammation, pain and stiffness. This is why oeseoarthritis usually affects the weight bearing joints such as the hips and knees.

Symptoms of oeseoarthritis include :

• stiffness in the body and joints
• pains in the joints
  These joint pains are normally worse in the morning, after exercise and in damp weather.

Biochemical changes in the cartilage stimulate overgrowth of the bone cells - know as hyperplasia.
This hyperplasia is an effort by the body to correct the disturbance.
Osteoarthritis is common in the elderly and menopausal women.
Calcium salts may also be deposited in the joints. This action is believed to be due to errors of diet and body mineral balance. Small crystals of calcium hydroxiapatite have been observed to form in cartilage and the synovial fluid.
Elderly people often suffer from diminishing levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This HCL is necessary for normal calcium metabolism so if there is a lack, the calcium is not utilised properly. This leads to deposition of the calcium crystals in the joints.
An effective substitute for the lack of hydrochloric acid is to take 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and sip it before or during a meal.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease of several joints together where erosion occurs. Believed to be an auto-immune disease. It normally affects the whole body instead of just one joint.
This form of arthritis destroys the cartilage and the surrounding joint tissues, often the bone surfaces too.
As compensation, the body replaces the damaged tissue with scar tissue. This causes the spaces between the joints to become narrower and fuse together over time. This is the action that causes the stiffening and crippling effects.

Some symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis are :

• morning joint stiffness
• swelling and pain in the joints
• easy fatigue
• nodules on the surface of bones, especially on elbows, wrists & fingers
• anemia
  All these symptoms can disappear and appear out of the blue

Most rheumatoid arthritics have high serum copper and low iron levels although the joints and lymph nodes have excess iron. It is thought that this may be the one of the causes for painful joints.
The high copper levels may be the results of a diet poor in zinc, manganese and sulphur.
This is why naturopathic practitioners believe that a poor mineral balance is the major contributing factor of arthritis as the body is unable to ward off tissue breakdown.

OSTEO & RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SUMMARY Eat a clean diet, devoid of food additives, colours and chemicals Lose any excess weight as this adds further strain on the joints Eat Low Fat Reduce salt intake Avoid Lemons, Citrus Fruits & Tomatoes for a while Reduce Dairy Increase vegetable & fruit intake Increase exercise as unused joints tend to stiffen up and poor posture cause uneven weight distribution BENEFICIAL INGREDIENTS Glucosamine Sulphate Digestive enzymes Organic apple cider vinegar Collagen Chondroitin Cod liver oil Vitamin E EFA oils Meadowsweet Asafoetide Hawthorn White willow

Some facts on Osteoarthritis, painful joints, rheumatoid arthritis.