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Rheumatoid Arthritis

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In general, arthritis is a group of more than one hundred inflammatory diseases that damage joints and their surrounding structures, resulting in symptomatic pain, disability, and system wide inflammation (Rogers). Out of the one hundred plus types of arthritis, the two most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that stems from the breakdown of cartilage of the bones as a result of traumatic injuries, joint overuse, obesity, or genetic and metabolic diseases. Osteoarthritis mainly affects older woman in the knees, hips, hands and spine. Sufferers experience inflammation, swelling, and pain in affected joints, eventually causing joint stiffness and limitation of movement, misalignment, and knoblike bone growths in the hands (Stark). While there is no known cure for OA, there are many treatment options to help preserve physical function …show more content…

Drug treatments such as topical analgesic ointments and medications, such as acetaminophen have been proven to be effective in treating OA pain. Some alternative treatments, such as heat therapy (soaking the affected area in warm water, paraffin and heat compress), have been shown to help relive sensitive joints. Other nondrug therapies include simple, medium- intensity exercise such as swimming and strength training to help increase and maintain mobility in the areas affected. Unfortunately, while these treatments are helpful, they are not always enough for some. In more severe cases, an orthopedic surgeon may inject cortisone or hyaluronic acid into joint spaces such as the knee (Stark). In the most severe, debilitating cases, surgical intervention is necessary to trim destroyed cartilage from the joints, replace joints altogether, and sometimes to fuse bones together (Stark). While not guaranteed, there are some simple steps to take to help lower your risk of developing OA. Avoid excess

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