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Traditional Treatment of Arthritis

By: Tara Smith

For over fifty years, the painful affliction of arthritis has been treated with conventional medical practices. Combining a mixture of exercises, painkillers and surgery where required, this type of treatment has enjoyed a relatively high rate of success, hence the reason for continued use as opposed to newer, less conventional methods of treatment.

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 anti-inflammatory drugs like indomethicin (Indocid) and ibuprofen and others, give pain relief and reduce joint swelling, but cause stomach problems with long-term use, while the Cox –2 inhibitors like celecoxib (Celebrex) while safer for the stomach, may cause cardiovascular problems.

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. Osteoporosis is one of the long-term effects of steroid. Then other steroids like cortisone are injected into the painful joint to prevent this and other problems.

Disease-modifying and immunosuppressive drugs are sometimes given, but they have serious side effects too, so must be closely monitored. Some of these include: - gold, by injection or orally, methotrexate (Matrex), and anti-malarial drugs to name just a few.

Unfortunately, no matter what drugs or medicinal treatment you take, often the arthritis will be too far advanced for them to work. In this case, surgery is the only option available to you. The good news with surgery is that the success rate is extremely high, with the likes of hip replacements and knee joint surgery enjoying a success rate of 95%. If successful, these replacements can last anywhere up to fifteen years before needing replaced. However, for those whose bodies reject the new additions, it can lead to even more painful arthritical problems than before, with severely debilitating results.

Since there are various types of surgery available, from the simplest bone shard removal to releasing trapped nerves, arthritis can be a treatable malaise. However, due to the after-effects that can happen, be sure to speak to your physician first.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

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