DIET
FOR A PAIN-FREE LIFE,
McIlwain, HH & Bruce, DF,
Available at
Barnesandnoble.com and
Amazon.com, EARLY ARTHRITIS CLINIC INFORMATION:
To make an appointment for our Early Arthritis Clinic please call 813-879-5485.
DIET
FOR A PAIN-FREE LIFE,
McIlwain, HH & Bruce, DF,
Available at
Barnesandnoble.com and
Amazon.com,
Continuing Education for Nurses Arthritis Pain Reduction 30 contact hours (HS986)
Arthritis LinksClick on a question to view the response.
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The numbness and tingling you feel especially in the thumb and nearest two fingers, may be due to pressure around a nerve in the wrist which supplies this area. This is called the median nerve, and the problem may be carpal tunnel syndrome. It can also cause weakness in the muscles of the hand. It is usually made worse with increased activity using the wrist and hand. It may awaken you from sleep. It commonly happens while driving a car. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by arthritis as well as other causes. If other problems are not present, it can be treated with a splint, at times a local injection, or, if needed, by surgery. This should not be a severely limiting problem and should not make you change your career.
Many patients notice a difference in their joint pain and stiffness with weather changes. Some seem to be affected by every change in the weather, and some can never tell a difference. The weather changes which seem to be bothersome to most persons are changes in barometric pressure and humidity. Some are affected by temperature changes. Some feel better in cold weather, some better when it is hot.
Those who are affected may be quite sensitive to the effect of weather changes. It is real, even though it does not affect each person to the same degree. It does not seem to have any other special significance, and is not thought to be a bad or a good sign as far as the arthritis is concerned.
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can have a wide range of severity. It can present with fever, rash, internal organ disease, with or without prominent joint pain or swelling (the systemic form). The more common forms are those in which the arthritis affects more than 4 joints or the form in which one joint (often the knee) to 4 joints are involved. Each form behaves a little differently from the others.
There has not been any specific evidence that these are inherited diseases or that you need to worry about your next child being affected. Ankylosing Spondylitis is a form of arthritis which affects the spine and can affect children (more commonly boys). A higher risk of the possibility of developing this disease can be inherited. However, at this time this fact alone does not usually prevent a couple from having children as planned.
The goal is for children affected by arthritis to lead as normal life as possible. Fortunately, 50 percent or more may have a remission so the prognosis is usually good. Making sure the child keeps a regular exercise program, uses medication when needed, and has proper medical follow up (including eye examinations) are important. We encourage as much activity as the child tolerates. Children usually stay active on their own and don't usually need to be held back. Many children participate in swimming, gymnastics, and lead a quite normal life.
Social Security provides bask protection against the loss of family income due to the disability of a major income earner. Under Social Security, the definition of disability is related to the ability to work. A person is considered disabled and receives benefits for a severe physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments that prevents work for a year or more. The work can be any gainful work, not just the previous occupation. This is discussed in an easy-to-understand way in Winning with Arthritis*. You can also call your Social Security office for more information.
Lupus can cause a wide variety of problems, ranging from very mild and non-limiting to life threatening internal organ disease such as kidney disease or heart disease. It would be a good idea to review with your physician where your specific situation fits compared to other patients with lupus. Also, understand what if any, internal organ involvement there may be. Follow the basic treatment program and know how often you need medical follow-up to be sure no new problems develop. Some patients with mild disease need only occasional visits to their physician. Relapses may not be preventable and will often happen at the most inconvenient time. During periods of more active disease you will probably need more frequent contact with your physician to allow medications to be adjusted. The best way to prevent progression of disease is to continue regular medical follow-up, to treat the flares and internal organ problems if they happen. This is a disease in which we don't always have control over disease flares or progression. However, there are many very effective medications now available so that most patients can manage their disease successfully.
Osteoporosis is actually a different problem than osteoarthritis. Osteoporosis is thinning of the bones so that eventually the bones become weak enough to break. It is most common in women, especially after menopause, but happens in men as well. The most common bones which break are the hip, the spine, and the wrist. In older persons a broken hip can be a devastating problem. Up to 20 percent of these persons may die within the first year.
Osteoporosis can be treated. There are medications and other treatments which can slow the thinning of the bones and help make them stronger. The goal of treatment is to prevent the next fracture. Your mother should talk with her physician about the treatments available. You may want to read a book which explains the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in easily understood language, Reversing Osteopenia
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. A person may have either osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or both. Each can be treated without conflict with the other treatment.
Additional Resources: Coming soon...DIET FOR A PAIN-FREE LIFE, McIlwain, HH & Bruce, DF, Marlowe/Avalon, NY, in press, December 2006 (Pre-Order)
Pain-Free Arthritis, McIlwain, Bruce, Holt & Co., 2003, The Pain-Free Back, McIlwain, Bruce, Holt & Co., 2004
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*The purpose of this page and linked pages is to answer common questions for health problems as well as to present unique ideas towards taking care of your health. The ideas, procedures and suggestions are not intended as a substitute from the medical advice of a trained health professional. All matters regarding our health require medical supervision. Consult your physician before adopting the suggestions in this book, as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The authors disclaim an liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of techniques described here.