If you take paracetemol or an anti-inflammatory drug when you suffer from pain, you’re not alone. A 2005 study, reported in the American Journal of Therapy, showed paracetemol was the most acceptable form of analgesic drug for two-thirds of patients with osteoarthritis pain.

Another study on behalf of the International Arthritis Action Group, found 47 percent of Australians in pain do not use medication because they’re worried about side effects, or feel they don’t know enough about the risks and benefits of treatment. Some do try medication but if it doesn’t work they’re reluctant to discuss an alternative with their GP or specialist. Often they give up searching for help and assume they have to live with soreness and pain. Not so.

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Because arthritis has become a very “popular” disease today, people are finding ways to totally eliminate the problem. But is there really a cure for any of the arthritis diseases? Is there an arthritis medication which can take away the causative problem of your disease? Well, the answer is no.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatment comes in many ways. Aside from the medications and the surgeries for arthritis, there are several other therapies which help a lot in the cure of arthritis. To name a few are: hydrotherapy, massage therapy, paraffin dip, and a number of exercises. With the use of these treatments, a patient will be relieved not only of the pain but the inflammation of the joints as well. If these are done continuously, the ill person will be able to go back to his normal way of living again.

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The main symptoms of arthritis are swelling, stiffness and pain. They are all signs of inflammation of the joints. Other signs are redness of the skin of the joints and the fact that the affected joints feel warmer than the rest of the body. The most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Both these illnesses show the arthritis symptoms as described above and affect and inflame the joints. People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis will also have to endure fatigue, lack of appetite and being feverish. Rheumatoid arthritis is also well known for attacking other parts of the body other than joints: skin, lungs and heart may be affected

The two types of arthritis have a different cause, they both attack primarily the joints, but whereas osteoarthrits is caused by the simple fact of wear of the joints through the years (as in older people or in professional athletes), rheumatoid arthritis finds its cause in the body itself. The body’s own immune system goes haywire and attacks its own joints and the tissues surrounding them. Since sometimes the immune system does not stop at the joints alone, rheumatic arthritis can have its detrimental effects on other parts of the body as well.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory form of arthritis. It affects roughly 2 million Americans. It is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune disorder for which there is no known cure. However, there are very effective medicine regimens that can control the disease and get it into remission.

The major reason, RA is not put into remission more often is the lack of a precise diagnosis. While there are many criteria that can point towards the diagnosis, it is often difficult early on to make sure a given person has the disease.

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My mom was hospitalized in January with pneumonia, upon her stay at the hospital she contracted a staph infection. Within a few weeks of leaving the hospital she began having pain all through her body. About a month later when she finally got into the doctor, they ran some tests and discovered that she has rheumatoid arthritis. It just seems strange that she never had symptoms prior to being at the hospital, and now she’s hurting all over every day. I’m afraid that it could’ve been a misdiagnosis, as she is cared for by the VA and they missed my stepdads non hodgekins lymphoma (which thank god was caught at another hospital, thanks to his persistance ) I’m just curious if there are any other conditions that could have been overlooked, or If there are any treatments herbal remedies or anything she can try. I feel so bad for her cause shes active and can’t do things that she wants to do. She also is experiencing anxiety attacks from the stress. Any help would be awesome! Thanks!

My mam is 51, not working but signs on. Gets working tax credit because husband works but is there anything else she might be entitled to. She has rheumatoid arthritis in both hands and one knee so there are not many jobs she can do. She used to be a cleaner but can not do this now because of the pain she gets. Any help much appreciated. U.K

I was diagnosed with JRA last year at 14. Mine is the severe type. I am on methotrexate, enbrel, and several steroids. Pain pills dont really work. HELP!

Today, arthritis patients are not only more receptive to complementary therapies- what has been called alternative therapy- but actually prefer it to conventional medicines.

There are many reasons for this. These reasons include the adverse publicity surrounding the side effects of medicines such as Vioxx and Bextra, cost of pharmaceutical agents, insurance restrictions that make it difficult for patients to get the types of medicines they need, and the widely held concept that “natural” implies safe.

As has been demonstrated on multiple occasions, a natural remedy is not necessarily safe, nor is it necessarily even effective.

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My doctor has started to run some blood tests to determine whether or not I have rheumatoid arthritis. I have been doing some research on it and I don’t think I have RA, but I am not the doctor. I am just hoping that maybe there is something else less severe that I may have.
Symptoms being for about a month now; pains in hands-knuckles and wrists, stiff feeling up to elbows. Back pains, stiffness, knee pains and stiffness. When I say stiffness, I mean it feels like sandpaper in between my joints. Its worst in the morning and when I am trying to go to bed. Doc’s suggest I take Aleve, but I have been along with Ibuprofen with no success of pain relief.
Also I am a 25 yr old male, in good/decent health. Well until now…

One thing I want to do also, is explore diet as a way of treating RA. I just ordered “Conquering Arthritis”. Anyone want to join me for mutal support?