Managing Arthritis Pain - How You Can Stay In Control Of Your Arthritis

Managing Arthritis Pain - How You Can Stay In Control Of Your Arthritis
By Maureen Wright

Have you ever ridden on a roller coaster and felt like you were out of control? LIFE can be like a roller coaster for those of us with Arthritis. There are good days and bad days. It is what we do with what we have—that counts.

Arthritis affects nearly 70 million Americans. There are more than 100 types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative arthritis. There are numerous arthritis treatments to help manage the pain as well. Arthritis is a major cause of chronic pain and leading cause of disability in the United States.

Did you know that the word arthritis literally means “joint inflammation?” Inflammation and pain are involved in most types of arthritis. Aching, throbbing, nagging, sometimes sharp pain – arthritis hurts!

It can make simple, daily activities like opening a pill bottle, getting out of a chair or even walking difficult. There is no cure for arthritis but there are things you can do to help manage arthritis pain symptoms.

See your doctor: Know what type of arthritis you have. Early diagnosis is important to proper treatment and prevention of permanent joint damage. Follow your doctor’s advice.

Keep a Positive Attitude: Make a plan for managing your arthritis. Take control. Arthritis is a condition that requires your participation in ongoing care.

Control your weight: Increased weight adds stress on joints in your back, hips, knees and feet. Less weight will reduce this stress.

Exercise: Stay fit! Exercise regularly to build muscles and keep joints moving well. Inactivity can increase your weight gain and your pain. Exercise (even walking 30 minutes a day or 10 minutes 3X a day) can increase strength and stability in weakened muscles and mobility in your joints. Remember the saying “Use it or lose it” – Then MOVE it!

Relax your muscles: Stress increases muscle tension, pain and feelings of helplessness and depression. Try relaxing by tensing and releasing muscle groups. Start at your head and work down to your toes. Deep breathing also helps to reduce stress.

Use assistive devices: Specially designed tools, called assistive devices, can help you perform basic activities. Long handled reachers, padded cooking utensils, etc., are available in stores, catalogs, and online.

Avoid improper positions: Using good posture and good body mechanics will help protect your joints. Don’t slouch in your chair; keep your head, neck and back straight, your legs uncrossed and your feet on the floor. This will help you reduce unnecessary pain.

Move around: Don’t stay in the same position too long. Taking frequent stretch breaks will reduce joint stiffness and pain.

Respect your Arthritis pain: Pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Arthritis causes some chronic pain, but when you have sudden excessive pain after an activity, you may have overexerted yourself or have been doing the activity incorrectly. Listen to your body, learn your limits and take extra care when you have pain.

Know your limits: Rest when you are tired. Arthritis can cause fatigue muscle weakness – a deep exhaustion that makes everything you do a great effort. Give yourself permission to rest. Pace yourself – don’t overexert yourself on one project. Break jobs down into smaller pieces that you can do over a period of time with rest breaks.

With proper attention to these items you can manage your arthritis pain.

About the Author: Maureen Wright, RN, CRRN, CCM is the Out-Patient coordinator for Walton Rehabilitation Health System. (WRHS) is a leading not-for-profit comprehensive, multi-specialty, dedicated provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation. For more information visit http://www.wrh.org or call 866-4-WALTON.
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Arthritis Cure – Discover The Natural Arthritis Remedy

Arthritis Cure – Discover The Natural Arthritis Remedy
By Greg DBK Smith

Arthritis comes in many forms, such as gout, rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Anyone who lives with, or knows someone who has, this debilitating disease knows how
painful and life-affecting it can be. They also know how costly it can be to “manage” arthritis with expensive medications, such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), some of which result in terrible side-effects, have known dangerous health risks, such as increased risk for heart attack and stroke, and which decrease in effectiveness over time, if they were even effective to begin with. Other expensive options include invasive surgeries and mobility devices, such as crutches, canes or wheelchairs. But, the sad truth is that none of these “treatments” do anything to stop the progress of this crippling disease.

I personally know of a woman who has experienced the tremendous pain and suffering caused by rheumatoid arthritis in her elbows and wrists since she was 35 years old; she is now 43. I witnessed first-hand the enormous difficulty she had with the simple task of drying and brushing her hair; motions that any healthy woman takes for granted. The disease has damaged her wrists and elbows so badly that she currently has no cartilage remaining in one of her wrists and, consequently, has no movement in that wrist. In addition, both of her elbows are severely deformed; both elbows look swollen and are slightly bent. Since lifting, pushing, or pulling an object usually causes her pain, she rarely uses her arms and, as a result, her arm muscles have atrophied. Her arms look like those of an elderly woman; her muscles sag and look shriveled.

During the last eight years, this woman has made countless trips to the doctor and pharmacies and spent a tremendous amount of money and time trying to find relief from her suffering. However, nothing helped and her condition worsened to the point she was willing to try anything, including participating in experimental studies. Unfortunately, these experimental treatments did not help her either. On the contrary, they may have actually caused her cancer, which she is currently battling with now.

I am writing this letter for her and for the millions of people around the world that are needlessly suffering from this horrible, life-affecting disease known, in general terms, as arthritis. Contrary to what the medical establishment might have you believe, such as “arthritis is just a part of life…there is no cure…learn to live with it”, every disease is curable, naturally, including arthritis; all that is required is the knowledge. In the case of arthritis, a few special individuals outside the medical establishment have discovered that knowledge on their own through years of in-depth research and testing; testing they actually performed on themselves. You see, these people too once suffered the horrible pains of arthritis but, after discovering and applying what they learned, they were able to cure themselves of this disease naturally. To further validate what they learned, they would revert back to their old ways and, without exception, the arthritis pain would return. They would then, of course, go back to applying what they learned and, again, without exception, the arthritis would “disappear”. In fact, by applying this knowledge, one woman, after suffering for 43 years, has been free from the pains of arthritis for over 29 years now; another woman applied what she learned and has been arthritis-free for over 16 years.

The point I want to get across is that ARTHRITIS IS CURABLE NATURALLY; real people have proven that it is. The details of what these people discovered to cure themselves of arthritis naturally are beyond the scope of this article. However, if you’d like to learn these details, simply visit http://www.databaseofknowledge.com/illness/arthritis.php. Here, for example, you can learn, in addition to so much more, the “gout remedy”, or rather, “gout diet” that explains what “gout food” to avoid in order to get rid of gout symptoms.

One last point: your health is ultimately your responsibility. As such, take an active stance and discover what your body needs to maintain optimum health. Do NOT simply leave your health in the hands of someone else. Do NOT assume that a highly-educated, licensed medical practitioner knows everything. They do NOT! No one person can know everything. Please do not misunderstand me, definitely work with a licensed medical professional when it comes to your health. However, if you find that what he/she is prescribing is not helping you, it is your responsibility to take further action and look for other solutions. Keep in mind that THERE IS A SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM. You only need to seek it out. Remember the old adage: “seek and you shall find”. Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous life, Greg Smith Founder/President The Database of Knowledge: The Source for Enhancing Our Lives
databaseofknowledge.com

About the Author: Greg Smith is President of http://www.databaseofknowledge.com. For specific details on natural arthritis cures, visit http://www.databaseofknowledge.com/illness/arthritis.php
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Arthritis FAQ: Your Options In Treating Arthritis

Arthritis FAQ: Your Options In Treating Arthritis
By Alex Trenor

* What causes arthritis?

Arthritis is caused by a variety of factors including joint instability, age-related changes, altered biochemistry, hormonal factors, environmental factors, and psychological factors. Stress can also cause arthritis since stress disrupts the body’s hormonal balance.

Stress-induced cortisone deficiency can be a factor in some forms of arthritis. When body systems release adrenalin and cortisone, it weakens the immune system. As a result, bacteria and other detrimental organisms spread throughout the body.

* How is arthritis treated?

Treatments for arthritis include rest and relaxation, exercise, proper diet, medication, and instruction about the proper use of joints and ways to conserve energy. Other treatments include the use of methods to relieve pain, and assistive devices such as splints or braces. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

Ideally, the doctor and patient work together to develop a treatment plan that helps the patient maintain or improve his or her lifestyle. Treatment plans usually combine several types of treatment and vary depending on the arthritic condition and the patient.

* Can arthritis be cured?

There is no cure for arthritis but there are available treatments that can ease pain and stiffness. The treatments available address the symptoms. Proper treatment can really help the patients with arthritis.

* What are the side effects of the most common arthritis medications?

NSAID or the Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are the most popular and the most commonly prescribed drugs for arthritis. Several types of NSAID are on the market. The most famous are the acetylated, COX, Selective Inhibitors.

NSAID works harshly on some of the enzymes and in blocking the activity of the cells. In some cases the risk of developing other health problems is increased with continuous taking of NSAID. According to some patients, they experience dizziness, insomnia and headache after taking these drugs.

* Can acupuncture help arthritis?

The National Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse says that acupuncture can help minimize the pain of arthritis. Some researchers believe that the needles used in acupuncture help regulate the flow of natural painkillers.

Some hospitals in the United States offer acupuncture therapy, and there are several cases that prove how acupuncture has helped in surgery for rheumatic conditions.

* Can a chiropractor help arthritis?

There is evidence that chiropractic can help people suffering from arthritis. It also allows the spinal manipulation that helps regulate different joints as well as the spinal column. A good chiropractor can adjust all the joints of the body, allowing them to work normally.

There are several methods of chiropractic therapy that combine proper nutrition with overall massage to produce better health.

* Should I exercise or NOT exercise arthritic joints?

Many arthritis sufferers think it is harmful for them to exercise the affected area. This is a mistaken idea that has persisted for many years.

If arthritis attacks, the patient should exercise in order to increase blood flow to the affected area. Many researchers have discussed how important it is to exercise during an attack of arthritis. In fact, exercise is essential in managing your
arthritis.

About the Author: Alex Trenor is editor of http://www.arthritistip.com, the online guide to arthritis. He also writes Arthritis FAQ's for http://www.prettygreatanswers.com/articles/ArthritisQuestions/ .

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TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS (Submitted from a Reader)

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline...but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening...your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON

Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell.......................... 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil.............. . 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway... 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco...........................62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is
now $90 - $100 a barrel

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco.................0 barrels

Conoco.................0 barrels

Sinclair................0 barrels

B P /Phillips............0 barrels

Hess......................0 barrels

ARC0...................0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.


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DID YOU KNOW?

DID YOU KNOW? (Submitted by a Reader)



Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.



Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.



Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!



Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.



Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.



To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.



For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.



Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.



Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simple chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.



1. Reheat Pizza

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.



2. Easy Deviled Eggs

Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.



3. Expanding Frosting

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.



4. Reheating refrigerated bread

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.



5. Newspaper weeds away

Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic. They will not get through wet newspapers.



6. Broken Glass

Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.



7. No More Mosquitoes

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.



8. Squirrel Away!

To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.



9. Flexible vacuum

To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.



10. Reducing Static Cling

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.



11. Measuring Cups

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.



12. Foggy Windshield?

Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!



13. Reopening envelope

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.



14. Conditioner

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...



15. Goodbye Fruit Flies

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!



16. Get Rid of Ants

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!



17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYER

The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well,....the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free -- that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!



Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about! PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. NOT ONLY COULD IT SAVE SOMEONE'S HOME, BUT IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.



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