Types of Arthritis and Their Painful Symptoms
Arthritis is a rheumatic disease. The rheumatic
diseases are diseases of the joints, bones and connective tissues, and
may affect other internal organs as well. Arthritis may be primarily non-inflammatory,
as in the case of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the type of arthritis
that affects many of us as we age and is sometimes called “degenerative”
joint disease. It is, in part, related to biochemical changes in the cartilage
as we age and, in part, to “wear and tear”. The major symptom from which
patients with osteoarthritis seek relief is pain. Therefore, many of the
alternative therapies used by patients with osteoarthritis are chosen for
their pain-relieving properties and some of these are used for other painful
conditions not caused by arthritis.
Other forms of arthritis are classified as inflammatory. The most familiar example is rheumatoid arthritis. This form of arthritis is characterized by the cardinal signs of inflammation; namely, warmth, redness, swelling and pain. It is often accompanied by abnormalities in the immune system. Other forms of inflammatory arthritis include the arthritis that is seen in systemic lupus erythematosus, Reiter’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and many others. There are over 100 forms of arthritis. In inflammatory arthritis, patients seek relief not just from pain, but from inflammation as well. Therefore, they may seek out a somewhat different spectrum of natural products for the treatment of their symptoms than those with osteoarthritis. In the remainder of this article, I have provided information on several natural treatments, which may help you relieve some, if not all, of your symptoms.
Vitamins
One of the most commonly used categories of alternative
therapies is vitamins. Vitamins have been in use for numerous maladies
for decades, both in doses that provide minimum nutritional supplementation
for the avoidance of deficiency diseases like scurvy, and in so-called
"megadoses" many hundreds, or even thousands, of times higher than what
the body needs to simply exist without a deficiency disease.
In recent years, data have accumulated on a relationship between the use of certain vitamins and the prevention of the progression of osteoarthritis. There is no data that suggests that you can avoid osteoarthritis in the first place by taking vitamins. However, there is epidemiological evidence that having higher levels of certain vitamins can slow the worsening of osteoarthritis.
A large study of residents of Framingham, Massachusetts over the last few decades has provided us with many insights into the incidence of cardiovascular disease and its relation to cholesterol, as well as many other health issues. Recent data was published from this ongoing study that looked at vitamin D, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Patients were asked to complete food frequency checklists. The lists assessed the intake of these vitamins; in other words, how often they ate foods containing these vitamins. The study showed that patients who had the highest levels of vitamin D intake and the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood were three times less likely to have progression of their osteoarthritis.
A second study using the Framingham populations showed that patients with the highest levels of vitamin C intake had a three-fold reduction in progression of their osteoarthritis and that those patients with the highest levels of beta-carotene intake had a two-fold reduction. Eating a diet rich in vitamins D and C and beta-carotene might be one of the few truly preventive interventions we can make when it comes to osteoarthritis.
Calcium
The typical American diet is notoriously low in calcium.
Calcium intake by children and adults alike often lags behind nutritional
requirements. Osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones which makes bones more
susceptible to fracture, has reached epidemic proportions and affects millions
of American men and women alike.
An adequate calcium intake throughout life seems to help protect bones from osteoporosis. It does not appear to protect against osteoarthritis or any form of inflammatory arthritis. However, calcium intake is important for arthritis patients for many reasons. First, it helps the bones to be as strong as they can be. It is essential that arthritis patients maintain healthy bones and muscles to help compensate for the limitations imposed by their arthritis. Second, immobility due to arthritis contributes to osteoporosis, putting patients at further risk for broken bones. And, finally, rheumatoid arthritis itself increases the risk for osteoporosis, as do the steroid medications often used to help treat it. All arthritis patients should take calcium supplements if the intake of calcium in their diet is inadequate.
The recommended daily dose of calcium is 1000 milligrams per day for adults between the ages of 18 and 65. For children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, women past menopause and everyone older than 65, the recommended daily dose of calcium is 1500 milligrams per day. Some patients may require higher doses but more is not always better when it comes to calcium. Taking too much can increase your risk of kidney stones. You should discuss your risk with your doctor if you or a family member has had kidney stones. A urine test for calcium can be helpful for determining your risk as well.
Vitamin D is recommended in a dose of 400 to 800 international units per day to aid absorption of calcium. Magnesium supplements do not seem to add much to calcium absorption and are not routinely recommended.
Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate
There has been considerable interest in, and even more
advertising about, the benefits of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin
sulfate for the treatment of osteoarthritis. These two compounds are naturally
present in the joints and are two of the building blocks of normal cartilage.
They have been used in Europe for many years as an alternative, as well
as an adjunctive, therapy for degenerative joint disease. While you might
think that supplying these two building blocks could help build cartilage,
it is not yet clear how glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate work
in human beings.
Research on the use of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate has been extensive in the European literature and some studies in English have been published as well. When compared head to head with one of the common medications used to treat arthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin are about as effective as those medications in treating pain. However, they do not start acting as quickly as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that physicians usually prescribe for arthritis pain. It may take several weeks for patients to see a benefit.
On the other hand, glucosamine and chondroitin appear to be very safe. They do not have many of the side effects of NSAIDs. In fact, they are a good alternative for patients with pain due to osteoarthritis who have had an ulcer or who get stomach upset that prevents them from taking NSAIDs. They can also be used in addition to prescription medication, especially in patients who get some, but not complete, pain relief from their arthritis drugs. Most manufacturers recommend 500 milligrams of glucosamine and 400 milligrams of chondroitin three times a day. These preparations are of no known benefit for inflammatory arthritis.