arthritis

People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis may see an improvement in their condition if they quit smoking, a new study has found. The study, described as preliminary, appears to offer the first evidence that giving up cigarettes may help arthritis patients, the researchers say. The study was presented at a recent conference of the American College of Rheumatology. "That's just one Read more...

Oct. 29 -- WASHINGTON -- Medical science has learned a great deal about the causes of pain and ways to relieve it, pain experts say, but for a host of reasons, the treatment of pain and suffering has improved hardly at all in recent years. John Seffrin, the president of the American Cancer Society, calls this "a national health-care crisis of under-treated pain." "Nearly Read more...

Are you taking your back for granted? As sufferers will tell you, back pain can be excruciating -- but at worst it can also be debilitating. Last week was Back Care Awareness Week, when people were asked to think about how to keep their backs in tip-top shape. Here is our guide to keeping your spine healthy. As a chartered physiotherapist, more than half of Paul Nicholls's workload Read more...

More than 40 percent of those afflicted with arthritis in the United States now use complementary and alternative medicine to ease pain and swelling. These include dietary supplements. The use of alternative remedies has increased since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued health warnings about anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs were linked to cardiovascular events that even Read more...

Oct. 13 -- During the course of a life, knees take a lot of punishment. Besides the strain placed on the cartilage pads while walking, athletes can accelerate damage by overusing the joints that carry tremendous stress. This wear and tear damage is called osteoarthritis, as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis, a joint-destroying auto-immune disorder. Whether young or old, Read more...

Gout is a painful form of arthritis that has long been associated with a rich diet, and a change in that department is just one thing that can make a difference. Gout afflicts as many as 3 million Americans, mostly men, postmenopausal women and people with kidney disease, according to the American College of Rheumatology. Gout attacks are caused by a buildup of a waste product called uric Read more...

Dear Dr. Gott: Please discuss the difference between bursitis and arthritis. Dear Reader: Arthritis and bursitis can be difficult to differentiate. Arthritis is joint inflammation with associated degeneration of connective tissue and bone. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, a sac-like cavity surrounding joints that is filled with fluid that reduces friction caused by movement. Read more...

Sep. 7, 2008 -- In November, Ken Cohen was invited to give two lectures on qigong, the ancient Chinese therapeutic movement discipline, at that hallowed hall of Western medicine -- the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Sensing he might face a crowd of skeptics, the qigong master from Colorado surveyed the room and immediately knew what to say and what to leave out. "If you go in Read more...

Here are ways to protect your joints from osteoarthritis or slow its progression: Lose weight. Excess weight stresses hips, knees and other joints; every pound lost reduces the load exerted on the knee for each step by 4 pounds. Get active. Exercise strengthens the muscles around joints, which can prevent cartilage from wearing down. Stay straight. Good posture protects the neck, Read more...