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Why Suffer Some Basic Facts About Arthritis Health Alert!
 Arthritis is not an inevitable consequence of ageing, although nine in every ten people have it by the age of 60. But why do one in ten never develop Arthritis? Arthritis, which means inflammation (itis) of a joint (athron), a term used loosely to describe a whole host of problems affecting joints, bones and muscles, is not simply a ‘wear and tear’ degenerative disease that is unavoidable. For example, in some African communities, whose people spend hours every day walking without shoes, arthritis is exceedingly rare.
When you consider that your body is the very latest model, shaped over millions of years of evolution, designed to deliver at least one hundred years of healthfulliving, should you accept that when a part starts misbehaving, there is nothing you can do except dull the pain?
Arthritis starts with joint aches and pains. Many people put up with these early warning signs, until they develop into something a little more persistent. Then, a visit to the doctor may result in a prescription for an anti-inflammatory or pain-killing drug. Conventional drug treatments do nothing to cure the disease. At best, they reduce the pain. At worst, they speed up the progression of the disease. Severe arthritis is living hell and is probably responsible for more suffering than any other disease, including cancer and heart disease combined. It can even be life threatening. For all, arthritis means living with pain and stiffness. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that there is an alternative approach. Arthritis can be prevented and the underlying causes can be eliminated. If you stop or reverse the progression of this disease early enough you can hope for a complete recovery. If your arthritis has already resulted in considerable damage to joints you may, at best, be able to halt the progression of the disease and reduce the pain with little or no recourse to drugs. Either way, to find the best approach to treating your arthritis you need to identify the likely factors that contributed to it developing in the first place. But even before that, it helps to understand the nature of the beast.
When you get ill two question usually come to mind. The first is ‘how do I get better?’ and the second is ‘why did I get ill in the first place?’. Knowing why you develop a disease doesn’t cure the disease, but it is usually the first step towards a solution. In the search for the cause of arthritis many things have been considered, including diet, physical exercise, posture, climate, hormones, infections, genetics, old age and stress. Most of these factors have proven relevant to some arthritis suffers. But what is the cause? The answer is, as for most diseases, that arthritis does not have a single cause. The occurrence of the symptoms of arthritis, or any arthritic type of disease, is the result of an accumulation of factors, of stresses that eventually cause joint, bone and muscle degeneration.
The likely factors that lead to the development of this painful condition are:
Poor lubrication of the joints. In between joints there is synovial fluid. Good nutrition is needed to make sure the synovial fluid stays fluid and able to lubricate. Cartilage and synovial fluid contain mucopolysaccharides which can be provided by certain foods.
Hormonal imbalance. Hormones control calcium balance in the body. If calcium balance is out of control, bones and joints can become porous and subject to wear and tear, and calcium can be deposited in the wrong place resulting in arthritic ‘spurs’. The fault is not so much calcium intake, but the loss of calcium balance in the body. A lack of exercise, excess tea, coffee, alcohol or chocolate, exposure to toxic metals like lead, excessive stress or underlying blood sugar or thyroid imbalances all upset calcium control.
While calcium control can be worse after the menopause probably due to the loss of oestrogen, too much oestrogen also makes arthritis worse. It’s all a question of balance. Another hormone, insulin, stimulates the synthesis of mucopolysaccharides, from which cartilage is made. People with underactive thyroid glands are more likely to suffer from arthritis.
Allergies and sensitivities. Almost all rheumatoid arthritis and many osteoarthritis have food and chemical allergies or sensitivities that make their symptoms flare up. The most common food allergies are to wheat and dairy produce. Chemical and environmental sensitivities can include gas and exhaust fumes. These are well worth avoiding strictly for one month to see whether they contribute to the problem.
Free radicals. In all inflamed joints, a battle is taking place, with the body trying to deal with the damage. One of the key weapons of war in the body are free oxidising radicals. These are like the body’s own nuclear waste, made from oxygen reacting with glucose, the end result of breathing and eating. The reaction releases energy that allows our cells to work, but it also creates these dangerous oxygen by-products which can destroy cells and damage body tissue. A certain amount of free oxidising radicals, or free radicals for short, are made through normal body processes. Eating a lot of fried food, or smoking cigarettes will increase free radicals in the body.
The body protects itself from free radicals with an army of anti-oxidant nutrients, like vitamins A, C and E, and anti-oxidant enzymes which contain the minerals zinc and selenium. In fact, the body will even generate free radicals to destroy abnormal cells or invaders such as a virus. If the immune system isn’t working properly, as in rheumatoid arthritis, it will produce too many free radicals which can damage tissue around the joint. A low intake of anti-oxidant nutrients can make arthritis worse.
Infections. Any infection, be it viral or bacterial, weakens the immune system which controls inflammation. But some viruses and bacteria particularly affect the joints by lodging in them and recurring when immune defences are low. Often the immune system can do harm to surrounding tissue in an attempt to fight an infection, like an army which obliterates its own country in trying to get rid of an invader. Building up your immune defences through optimum nutrition is own country in trying to get rid of an invader. Building up your immune defences through optimum nutrition is the natural solution.
Bone strain and deformities. Any damage or strain, so often caused by faulty posture, increases the risk of developing arthritis. A yearly check up with an osteopath or chiropractor, plus regular exercise that helps to increase joint suppleness and strength is the best prevention. Once arthritis has set in, special exercises help to reduce pain and stiffness.
State of mind. Research at the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation and at the University of Southern California Medical School has shown a link between arthritis and emotional stress. “Hidden anger, fear or worry often accompanies the beginning of arthritis” say Dr Austin from the University of Southern California.
Poor diet. Most arthritics show a history of poor diet which paves the way for many of the above risk factors. Too much refined sugar, too many stimulants, too much fat and too much protein are all strongly associated with arthritic problems. A lack of any of a large number of vital vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids could, in itself, precipitate joint problems.
According to Dr Robert Bingham, a specialist in the treatment of arthritis “No person who is in good nutritional health develops rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.”
By taking all these factors in to account and eliminating possible risks, improving lifestyle, and following an optimal diet and supplement programme based on your individual needs, great results can be achieved with arthritis. Pain and inflammation can be reduced, mobility can be increased, and, although less easy to achieve, there is evidence that damaged joints can heal. We’ll make an attempt to cover these in subsequent issues.
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