Home » Arthritis Treatment » Arthritis Treatment For Hands

Arthritis Treatment For Hands

Arthritis Treatment & Types

arthritis-treatment: Arthritis Treatment For Hands Can you do anything about arthritis besides drugs and surgery? Yes you can! Many arthritis sufferers are completely unaware of other treatment options beyond prescription medication and surgery.

There are 3 main types of arthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid and Gouty Arthritis.

1. Osteoarthritis usually affects the larger weight bearing joints, but it's often found in the spine too, especially after the age of 40. Old injuries, especially auto accidents and sports injuries will often lead to OA due to cartilage damage. Cartilage creates a smooth surface over the end of each bone within a joint. Injuries can cause the cartilage to be smashed, torn, or even alter the biomechanics of the joint. With time, the cartilage becomes "drier", cracked or too thin. The symptoms of this can include local tenderness, swelling, joint "cracking or grinding", dysfunction, pain and decreased motion. Bone spurs or "joint mice" occur in the latter stages of OA. Approximately 27 million Americans suffer from arthritis, accounting for almost one quarter of all visits to primary care physicians, and result in half of all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) prescriptions.

2. Gouty Arthritis or Goutis the formation of uric acid crystals in the small joints of the feet and hands. 90% of gout sufferers are overweight men who eat rich foods such as cheese, sausage, creams and alcohol. Until recently, it was called the "Rich man's disease". The uric acid crystals are very sharp and cause intense pain whenever the affected joint is moved. Symptoms include excruciating joint pain, swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness.

3. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is actually an auto-immune disease. The body is basically attacking its own synovial membranes, (the covering over a joint). The membranes get thicker and swollen, and can become trapped and pinched when the joint is moved. The most common symptoms are small-joint discomfort (hands/wrists most commonly), warmth, swelling, redness, limited range of motion and distortion. RA affects both sides of the body and typically gets worse over time. It's 3 times more common in women than men and begins between the ages of 20 and 60; peak activity occurs between the ages of 35 and 45.

So what can you do?
In the case of gout, avoid: alcohol and rich foods. Increase foods that contain sulfur, such as: asparagus, eggs, garlic and onions. You can also eat cherries and drink cherry juice. 100% pure cherry juice has been found to offer considerable relief by reducing the uric acid crystals. Use pure juice only. I've found it at health food stores and Trader Joe's in glass bottles. Concentrates from the freezer are often labeled as 100% juice, however, read the ingredients, as it only has to contain 7% "real cherries" to be labeled as "100%" by the FDA. If it has any added sugar, fructose, or other fruits, it's not 100% authentic cherry juice.

By Dr. Amber -