Arithritis

Introduction:There are many kinds of arthitides determined by observation of symptoms, each named uniquely. The three most prominent are Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gouty Arthritis. Tens of millions of Americans suffer from either Osteoarthritis or Gouty Arthritis. At least thirteen million Americans suffer from so-called incurable Rheumatoid Disease, a
name given to a broad cluster of diseases, perhaps 100 in number that, while appearing to be different diseases because they are differently named, are all related by the fact that collagen tissue is somehow affected. An estimated forty million people have Osteoarthritis, six million have Rheumatoid Arthritis and about one million Americans have Gouty Arthritis1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Most people know “arthritis” as a joint disease: painful, swollen, or heated joints. Most treatments, therefore, are aimed at relieving pain at the joints without in any way attending to thesystemic nature of the diseases.
It has been stated by some practicing physicians that at least 50% of us will have Osteoarthritis (Osteo) if we live long enough, and therefore Osteoarthritis is often said to be a “degenerative” or “aging” disease. It is characterized by swelling that is bony with irregular spurs and occasional soft cysts, whereas Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is characterized by synovial, capsular soft tissue
that is bony only in late stages3.Tenderness is normal for RA, but is usually absent with Osteo, except during occasional acute flare-ups and particularly at the onset. The distal interphalangeal
joint (closest to the nails) is usually not involved with RA (except thumb) but quite characteristic with Osteo. The proximal interphalangeal joint (middle) is usually involved with RA, and is
frequently involved with Osteo. The metacarpophalangeal joint (knuckles) is usually involved with RA, but never with Osteo, except for the thumb. Wrist involvement is normal for RA but
never involved with Osteo, except for the base of the thumb3. Osteo is characterized by degenerative loss of joint cartilage, deadening of bone beneath the cartilage, and cartilage and bone proliferation at the joint margins with subsequent bony outgrowths. Impaired joint function and synovial inflammation is common3. Osteoarthritis is said to be “inflammation of the bones and joints” according to a medical dictionary. While Osteo is painful, and leads to progressively less usage of joints, it is not the great crippler that characterizes Rheumatoid
Arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis usually is known by a cluster of easily observed symptoms distinguishing it from Osteo: Joints are swollen, heated, and an increasing number of them become affected over time. Night sweats, depression and lethargy accompany this disease1.
Gouty Arthritis, on the other hand, is characterized by sharp painful joints, as if a needle were probing the internal structure of the joints. One can have attacks of fever, chills and, of course, the described excruciating needle-like pains. Gout victims will suffer for weeks at a time often with loss of mobility; and, as these attacks become more frequent, they will eventually be disabling. Kidney disease, heart disease, and many other complications can set in5.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
WHAT CAUSES OSTEOARTHRITIS?
Osteoarthritis appears to be caused by a combination of factors. Hormonal deficiencies certainly play their part, as one-third more women suffer from Osteoarthritis after menopause than
do men. Faulty nutrition and stress may also play their fair share, as probably do genetic predisposing factors1, 2, 3, 4. Prevailing general medical theory suggests that Osteoarthritis
may be divided into two categories, primary and secondary17. "In primary osteoarthritis, the degenerative 'wear-and-tear' process occurs after the fifth and sixth decades, with no apparent predisposing abnormalities. The cumulative effects of decades of use leads to the degenerative changes by stressing the collagen matrix of the cartilage. Damage to the cartilage results in the release of enzymes that destroy collagen components. With aging, the ability to restore
and synthesize normal collagen structures is decreased. "Secondary osteoarthritis is associated with some predisposing factor which is responsible for the degenerative changes. Predisposing factors in secondary osteoarthritis include: congenital abnormalities in joint structure or function (e.g., hypermobility and abnormally shaped joint surfaces); trauma (obesity, fractures along
joint surfaces, surgery, etc.); crystal deposition; presence of abnormal cartilage; and previous inflammatory disease of joint (rheumatoid arthritis, gout, septic arthritis, etc.)3, 4"
PREVENTION OF OSTEOARTHRITIS
There are, apparently, three major aspects to the prevention of Osteoarthritis: restore proper nutrition, relieve stress and replace hormones3, 4. Nutrition must be designed to fit each individual, of course, but there are always good broad outlines that are safe and helpful
or each of us. According to Gus J. Prosch, Jr,, M.D.95 in principle,the closer we can eat to the “caveman diet,” the better the nutritional values received. Our human bodies evolved through a
varying diet of grains, nuts, berries, fish, meats and other food substances. Known as the “caveman diet” it is generally described by recommendations of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, cold water fish (non-farmed) and other sources of essential fatty acids. One mineral apparently of great importance to the prevention of Osteoarthritis is boron. Dr. Rex E. Newnham, Ph.D., D.O., N.D. of Leeds, England demonstrated demographic and clinical evidence for the usefulness of Boron in preventing and treating Osteoarthritis and some forms of Rheumatoid Disease3,4. Dietary supplements often used are: Niacinamide89, 90, 91 (under
close medical supervision), Methionine, Glycosaminoglycans, Superoxide Dismutase, Vitamins A, E, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic Acid and minerals Zinc and Copper18. Linus Pauling Ph.D.64 and Robert F. Cathcart, III M.D.2 both recommend large quantities of Vitamin C, either orally or as an injectable. Many of the above supplements are either anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatories, synergistic with other substances, hormonal replacements or blockages, or intended to
encourage the maintenance of, or faster re-growth of, connective tissue.
Various herbs60 have been historically useful for the same purposes, especially in treating inflammation without the serious side-affects attributed to aspirin and other Non-Steroidal Anti- Inflammatories (NSAIDS). These are Glycyrrhiza glabra, Medicago sativa, Harpagophytum procumbens, and the Proanthocyanidins, Cherries, Hawthorn Berries and Blueberries17, 19. Wayne Martin, B.S., who synthesizes and writes about a great deal of medical
treatment possibilities suggests daily use of ginger mixed in milk, tea, coffee, or cold drinks.55
Stress69 is a factor that is perhaps most often overlooked by the normal medical practitioner. Often there is one or more persons in the close work or home enviroment who are suppressive to another, such suppression expressing itself in a way that constantly invalidates a person’s actions, thoughts or emotions. It is a negative stimulus that depresses our beingness, our will to wantto engage in friendly exchange of ideas or activities. A person who is so related to another will often suppress his/her emotions and behavior in ways that express outwardly in the form of hormonal changes and accompanying clinical sicknesses. The medical terminology is “psychosomatic,” indicating that the person’s mind governs his emotions and bodily condition. This is true to the extent that a person permits suppressive conditions and “suppressive”
people to influence his/her mind/body. As few physicians have training in recognizing the causative patterns, and would probably be resisted by their patients if they mentioned them, stress sources are often ignored in treatment, although they may be the largest component of all diseases, acute or chronic2.