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The traditional treatment of arthritis is based on relieving pain and increasing mobility. Since the drug therapies have been around for at least fifty years and surgery has a fairly high success rate the conservative medical community tends to treat arthritis with painkillers and exercise. However, the recent trend is to go for other remedies like dietary supplements. However, this type of traditional treatment can cause just as many problems as the arthritis itself, unfortunately. Since painkillers are used to combat the painful effects arthritis has on joints, they will also hide any side effects that the treatment is causing. This can be something like something seemingly as harmless as diarrhoea, which can be a nasty addition to arthritis treatment. This is because if the medication causes the wall of the stomach to function less in any way, it can lead to antigens entering the bloodstream that affects joints, therefore inflaming the arthritis even more. Once there, they will trigger an attack by the white blood cells that are the body’s defense system. The trouble is this causes more pain and inflammation as the white blood cells release prostaglandins and leukotrienes in an attempt to dispose of the enemy. They also release digestive enzymes to dispose of bacteria, but these often begin to attack and digest the actual cartilage, bone, ligament and muscle that are supposed to be saved. This can then become a chronic problem, which is what happens in RA (rheumatoid arthritis) especially. Even everyday medication like aspirin can have a negative effect on arthritis treatment. Since aspirin decreases the amount of essential vitamins the body needs, such as Vitamin B for example, this again can do more damage than good. With the body not getting the amount of vitamins it needs, the bones and cartilage begin to deteriorate, and lead to the same problems that cause arthritis in the first place. Non-steroid drugs such as ibuprofen and Indocid may help to relieve the pain and swelling that is the common result in arthritis symptoms, yet in the long-term can cause stomach problems due to the chemicals involved. Even the likes of Celebrex can cause cardiovascular issues, although it is better for the stomach than the other two methods. Steroid medication causes a loss of potassium, but retention of sodium, while penicillamine, often used to treat RA, causes a lack of copper. Gout, the only form of arthritis scientifically shown to have a direct link to diet, is often treated with colchicine, which can cause a loss of vitamin B12. One long-term effect of steroid use is osteoporosis. To prevent this and other problems, steroids such as cortisone can be injected into the painful joint. If you are receiving any kind of suppressive drugs, such as Matrex or anti-malarial medication, you will need to be closely watched as these can have serious side effects, whether the drugs are administered orally or via injection. When drugs don’t seem to work, or the side effects are too serious, doctors may suggest surgery. Knee and hip replacements seem to be the flavor of the month and the success rate is about 95%, with most patients becoming pain-free. Replaced joint can last for up to fifteen years and when they start to give trouble can be replaced. There are a few unfortunates for whom the operation is not successful and the artificial joint must be removed. They are then left in a more debilitating condition than they started with. There are other surgery options like removing inflamed joint cavity linings, repairing damaged tendons or removing them completely. It is also possible to remove part of a bone that is causing pain, release trapped nerves, or fuse a joint to make it more stable. Always make sure that any proposed surgery, or other treatment is discussed thoroughly with your health care provider, so that you know exactly what risks are involved.
Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db
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