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Arthritis

Osteoarthritis

The word arthritis means inflammation of a joint. There are many different forms of which the most common, osteoarthritis, OA, causes symptoms in at least half of people over the age of 60, and most others will have some X ray evidence of the disease. OA usually affects the larger, weight bearing joints such as the hips, knees and spine but smaller joints eg the fingers and elbows can be involved too. The exact cause is not fully understood.

It used to be thought of as a degenerative disease due to wear and tearon the smooth cartilage lining the joints, but is now believed to result from an active disease process. One theory is that imbalances occur in normal repair mechanisms so damaged cartilage is broken down and not properly replaced. This allows underlying areas of bone to rub together so affected joints becoming increasingly painful and stiff.

Self Help Measures

Self Help measures include:

• Lose any excess weight.
• Take regular, gentle exercise such as walking, cycling or swimming within the limits of discomfort, to maintain your strength and mobility.
• Avoid walking over rough ground.
• Use a stick to reduce the weight load on joints.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress that is not overly hard or too soft, both of which can make joint pain worse.
• Apply hot or cold compresses, packs that you warm in the microwave or cool in the fridge are widely available from chemists.
• Supplements that can help include vitamin C, omega 3 fish oils, glucosamine sulphate, Devil's claw, New Zealand Green lipped mussel extracts, bromelain (pineapple extract).

Apply a magnetic patch over any painful joint. Magnetic patches can also be applied to acupuncture points over or near the site of pain.