Arthritis is a medical condition that affects the joints of the body. It is a major cause of disability in people who are 55 years and older. There are different types of arthritis such as degenerative joint disease, caused by a trauma to the area, and rheumatoid arthritis, in which the body literally attacks itself. Uric acid deposits are the cause of gouty arthritis, resulting in inflammation. Joint infection will cause septic arthritis.
Rheumatoid
Unfortunately there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. To manage the disease, treatment is focused on reducing inflammation in the joints. This will help to relieve pain and slow or prevent joint damage. Surgery can be used in severe cases to repair joint damage. Medical treatments to reduce inflammation include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, immunosuppressants, TNF-alpha inhibitors, Anakinra, Abatacept and Rituximab.
Gout
Curing gouty arthritis translates to reducing the risks of future attacks. To do this, changes must be made to the diet. This includes limiting the consumption of red meat, seafood and alcohol, increasing the intake of complex carbohydrates and eating low-fat dairy foods. Medications can also be prescribed to block uric acid production or to improve the removal of uric acid. For those suffering an attack, medications used to treat the disease include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids and colchicine.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) has no cure, according to the Mayo Clinic. Medication and joint replacements are the primary treatments to control the pain and discomfort cause by this disease. Treatment includes exercise, weight control, application of cold and heat treatments, braces, pain cream and physical therapy.
Septic
Before curing septic arthritis, the doctors must first identify the bacterium that caused the infection. Once this is done, an antibiotic best suited to target that infection will be given intravenously or orally. The treatment can last anywhere from two to six weeks. To identify the bacterium, the infected synovial fluid will be drained from the area. This will also reduce the inflammation and assist in removing toxic fluid from the body.
Alternative
There are alternative treatments used for treating arthritis. They include acupuncture, ginger tea, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, wearing braces with magnets, practicing tai chi and yoga, adding Vitamin C and cherries to your diet (for gout), and for rheumatoid arthritis adding fish oil with eicosapentaenoic or docosahexaenoic acid and plant oils with gamma-linolenic acid to your diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, these alternative treatments show promise.
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