Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition in which the nerve that runs down the forearm, called the median nerve, is compressed at the wrist. This causes tingling, numbness, nighttime wakening, pain, coldness and sometimes weakness in parts of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in women than it is in men and although it can occur at any age, it has a peak incidence for those around age 50. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are at risk for arthritis or have recently been diagnosed, there are a number of things you can do to help battle this condition. However, many people who later more severely suffer from the disease have found that their condition has worsened because they did not follow their doctor’s advice at onset. Arthritis, contrary to popular belief, is a very serious medical condition and you must learn to do all that you can to combat it in its early stages. This can ultimately lead to a healthier life in your later years. The following are some common mistakes that people make when they are first experiencing joint pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Arthritis is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Even though it is very common, it is still painful and incurable. Even though you may not realize it, you could be at great risk for developing arthritis. Although some of these conditions cannot be changed, there are a number of things you can do to prevent arthritis from occurring in your later years. Assess your risk in order to better be able to prevent yourself from developing this painful condition. Read the rest of this entry »

Family is a very important thing for many people. When one member in the family is diagnosed with arthritis, it affects all of the other member as well. Unfortunately, like many diseases and illnesses, arthritis can be the point of stress for many marriages and parent-child relationships, as well as relationships between siblings. There are many ways in which patients and their families can counteract the negatives of this disease, but it takes effort and dedication to work through the many issues of this disease. Read the rest of this entry »

After osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), four other major types of arthritis are systemic lupus erythematosis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and fibromyalgia.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) – This form of arthritis mainly affects women. It develops in the skin, internal organs and joints.

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Some statistics regarding arthritis. All this data is in regard to the United States. A search in Google should help you find data for your region of the world.

An estimated 46 million adults in the United States have some form of doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

An estimated 21 million adults have osteoarthritis.
An estimated 2.1 million adults are affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
An estimated 5.1 million adults report having a doctor diagnosis of gout.
An estimated 3.7 million adults have fibromyalgia.

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Our body’s joints can handle some heavy pressure. For example, our knees handle a force of three to four times our total body weight on average just talking a walk. The force of a deep knee bend during a squat can increase to nine times the body weight. So just imagine multiplying weight of more than 150 pounds times a minimum of three or four, and then even more. That can sure add up to a lot of heavy work on knee joints over time.

What is the science of this scenario?
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A 3 year Australian study has shown that older women who would like to avoid the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis need to follow some simple advice: Get moving. The study states that women in their 70s are more likely to stave off arthritis if they are at least somewhat physically active.

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You may notice the onset of arthritis in a variety of ways. Your joints might crack suddenly, like knees upon standing. Other joints may be stiff and creak. There might be pain, like when trying to open a jar.

What’s it all about? Let’s look at the basics and learn more.

Arthritis actually means “joint inflammation” and has over 100 related conditions or forms of the disease. Left untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage that cannot be undone or reversed. Thus, early detection and treatment are important.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both have similar symptoms, they happen for different reasons.
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