The Role of Spa Baths in Arthritis Treatment

A spa might give you unexpected relief from arthritis pain.

Soft bones or osteomalacia means that you experience extreme pain when you put pressure on the bones. Likewise osteoarthritis of the knee means that you are not in a position to do conventional exercises. That is why osteoporosis patients have sometimes turned to spa baths as one of the ways in which they can get relief. In the Edwardian age, many members of the upper classes thought that these spas could treat the symptoms of Paget's disease of the bone even if they were not yet clear about the sources of that condition. Some people suffered from Patellofemoral pain syndrome. This was characterized by knee pain in young adults. Spas have been recommended for Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), dermatomyositis and Polymyositis. Some of the benefits reported include:

1. Soothing effects on the bones: Although the scientific research on this is rather sketchy, some patients claim that they get relief from the spas. The bones are excruciatingly painful when you suffer from arthritis and therefore the anecdotal evidence has to be taken at face value. Patients are the best source of information about their symptoms because they feel the pain.

2. Relieving muscle tension in the body: Sometimes the arthritis patient will not get a chance to move their muscles about. That will lead to tension and the infamous muscle pull. Bathing in a spa will relax these muscles and give them some pain relief. It might be necessary to stretch after the treatment in order to maximize the benefits.

3. Dealing with aching joints: Often arthritis patients will complain of chronically aching joints. It is important that there are different options in addition to the non steroidal ant inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Spas have been known to provide relief for aching joints.

4. Reducing insomnia: The intensive pain that is felt by arthritis patients might lead them to suffer from insomnia. This is a debilitating condition because the patient will always feel tired and yet they have no means to rest. Bathing in a good quality spa might induce sleep and reduce the incidence of insomnia.

Although spas might be considered to be ancient techniques with little scientific research, the reality is that many people swear by them. You can go on a warm spa in order to warm up your bones in the winter. It is also a good way to get out of the house and exercise those bones in a safe manner.

Terminating An Employee - How To Handle Terminations Safely And Securely

The least pleasant part of being a supervisor or manager is terminating an employee. No matter how horrendous that employee has been, looking someone in the face and saying, "We're terminating your employment," is just plain difficult. It doesn't matter how many times you've had to do it, either. When you're terminating someone's employment, you are making a major change in his life, something he probably doesn't want and something that may have an effect on his family as well as himself.

But like it or not, there are times when termination is the only choice. An employee who seemed to be full of potential decides to "retire" at work and doesn't meet your expectations. An employee whose job requires that he be present during specified hours, strolls in whenever he pleases, leaves when he feels like it, and is gone more than he's at work. There are thousands of scenarios, but the end result is the same; you need to move this person out of your workplace.

Communicate With Your Employee As Soon As You Identify A Problem

When I worked as a Corporate Employee Relations Manager in a Fortune 100 company, I frequently received phone calls from supervisors with employees who were not meeting expectations. Interviewing the supervisors, I'd ask how long the performance had been deficient. "Oh, about six months, maybe a little longer," was not an unusual response. Six months? When I questioned the supervisors a little more, they admitted they were reluctant to confront the employees. Some wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. They thought the employees just needed some time to settle in. Some supervisors thought things would just get better if they left the employees alone. (This will not happen!)

As soon as you see an employee struggling, even if the employee does not acknowledge or even understand he's struggling, it's important to sit down, in private, and discuss your observations. Let the employee know what you expect from him and what you've actually observed him doing. Explain how he can meet your expectations. Schedule follow-up coaching and counseling sessions. Let the employee know that you're in his corner; you want him to succeed. Encourage him to ask questions. Start every coaching and counseling session with positive feedback; then discuss areas for improvement; and end the session with positive reinforcement.

Put Job Deficiencies in Writing

If an employee is not meeting expectations, whether by way of job performance or attendance or conduct, put those deficiencies in writing. A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is an excellent tool to communicate what is expected, what standards are not being met, steps to be taken immediately, and consequences for not meeting those expectations. I drafted PIPs for supervisors in the form of a memo to be signed by the supervisor, the employee (if he wanted to sign it - it wasn't required), and countersigned by me. The employee received a copy whether or not he signed the PIP. The reason I signed it was that in a large company we wanted to make certain we were consistent across the board. i.e., We wanted to make certain that we treated employees in all states in the same manner.

Employees were given a reasonable period of time in which to make improvements. Often 30 days is sufficient time in which to expect a change in performance, attendance or conduct. If there is a serious deterioration, you need not wait until the end of that time period to take the next step. And if the deficiencies are only partially cured at the end of the time period, you can extend the PIP to make certain the employee does not backslide.

Make It Clear At the Outset of Employment, What Acts Constitute Grounds For Immediate Termination

There has been a lot of talk about progressive discipline. When an employee is modestly deficient in his performance or his attendance is a little less than stellar, progressive discipline may be appropriate. But there are times when the only appropriate response is immediate termination. What constitutes grounds for immediate termination may vary but here are a few that come to mind:

* Possession of firearms or knives (other than pocket knives) on company property (you may want to include company parking lots in the definition of company property).

* Physical assault on another employee or visitor on company property

* Possession and/or sale of controlled substances without a valid prescription on company property

* Threats of violence made against another employee or visitor on company property

* Sexual harassment (Immediate termination would generally be for actual sexual assault or inappropriate touching. A PIP might be issued to an employee for making an inappropriate remark.)

* Viewing child pornography on company computers or other equipment.

* Making threats against another employee based on his race, religion, national origin, etc. (Violations of state laws and Title VII are to be taken very seriously).

*Committing a felony that disqualifies an employee from working for the company. (I worked for a financial services company and financial service companies cannot hire or retain employees who have been convicted (as opposed to just being "arrested") for crimes involving robbery, theft, or embezzlement.) Your human resources department can advise you if there are restrictions of this type that apply to your company.

The Termination Process

Your employee has been coached and counseled. You've given him a PIP and the improvement, if any, was temporary. You see no other avenue left but termination. Before you start the process, it's always a good idea to get a second opinion. In the company where I worked, my opinion and my signature were required before the termination could take place. This policy was instituted by the Senior Vice President of Human Resouces to ensure that we didn't have someone terminated in California, while an employee in Georgia only received a PIP for the same reasons.

Once the paperwork has been signed, make certain you have the employee's final check ready to hand to him at the termination. In some states, like California, this is mandatory. Even if you are not required to do so, it is a good idea to give the employee his money before he leaves. It goes a long way to reducing his anxiety about his future and makes the termination at least slightly more palatable.

Does it make a difference what day you choose to do a termination? Some people like to wait to the end of the week. My preference was to either do the termination on a Monday or at the very latest, on Thursday morning. If an employee is terminated on a Friday, all he can do is sit around all weekend thinking about how he was fired. I know we call it "termination" but the word that goes off in our heads is "fired". If an employee is prone to any sort of retaliation or depression, a Friday termination can make things worse. On the other hand, if an employee is terminated at the beginning of the week, he has a reason to get up the next day and apply for unemployment and start looking for a new job.

The termination should take place in a private room. I generally used a conference room near an entrance or exit to the building. If your building is not configured this way, find some private room in which to conduct the termination. It's humiliating enough to lose your job without the whole world hearing and watching you. A member of human resources or another manager should be in the room with you as a witness.

The supervisor should remind the employee that they have discussed his deficiencies over a period of time and that things have not gotten better. The supervisor should then inform the employee, "We have decided to terminate your employment." Use the word "we" rather than "I"; it's less personal and less confrontational. Don't let the employee argue about this. Explain that the decision has already been made and you're not going to debate the decision. Let the employee know that you will not discuss his termination with anyone and that you respect his privacy.

The supervisor should arrange to have someone (either an assistant manager or someone from human resources) retrieve from the employee's desk, whatever he needs to take with him immediately. If the employee is a woman, she will want her purse. It is not a good idea to let the employee return to his desk. I have witnessed too many incidents where the supervisor let the employee collect his own things.

One supervisor told me there was nothing to worry about because the employee would act in a professional manner. Five minutes later, I was called to the work area because the employee was screaming at the top of her lungs about how unfair we were; how she had been fired for no reason and how she was going to sue us all. The disruption to the workplace was devastating, even though in this particular case, most of the other employees were happy to see this woman leave.

Let the employee know that you will pack up his belongings and have them shipped to the employee's address. Confirm the address to which the employee wants his belongings sent. When the belongings are packed up, have one person do the packing and another writing an inventory. The last thing you need is for a former employee to accuse you of stealing a Rollex he left in a drawer. You may laugh but it has been known to happen.

After the employee has been given his final check and a copy of his termination paperwork, ask him for his badge or any other company property he may have with him (company pager, company cell phone, company credit card). Escort the employee out of the building. Immediately after the now-former employee leaves, make certain security knows that this person is no longer employed by the company. If employees swipe badges to access company parking lots or buildings, make certain facilities or security disables the employee's badge. Company credit cards should be cancelled immediately, as should cell phone and pager numbers.

Other employees will undoubtedly ask what happened. It is not unusual for a terminated employee to call some of his former coworkers and ask what was said about him. Here is the appropriate response: "John Doe is no longer with the company." If they ask why, "I do not discuss other employees." If you hear employees gossiping about the terminated employee, it's probably a good idea to encourage them to go back to work, reminding them that they would not want someone to discuss them behind their back.

One last caveat: If for any reason you believe before or after the termination, you believe the employee may retaliate in any way, don't keep it a secret. Tell your own supervisor and human resources. There were many times when I had security outside the door while I participated in terminations and I never felt as if I were overreacting.

When I worked for The Boeing Company, a security guard gave me some very sage advice. Whenever I had to participate in a termination, he checked out the room where the termination would take place. The first time I saw him remove a stapler from the desk, I just laughed. I stopped laughing when he asked, "What would you do if he picked this up and hit you in the head?" Not being a person prone to violence, this had never occurred to me. "That," he said, "is why I'm in security; to make certain it does occur to you."

While I was never physically threatened or assaulted, there were cases where the immediate supervisor and I thought that possibility existed. All you have to do is watch the evening news to hear about workplace violence. If you have treated an employee with courtesy and respect, up to and including his termination, you will have gone a long way to ensuring the safety and security of the entire workplace.

New Guidelines For Osteoarthritis - What Do They Mean?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and the leading cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain and limited mobility in older people worldwide.

It is a disease that causes cartilage in weight-bearing areas such as the neck, low back, hips, knees, and the base of the thumbs to deteriorate and wear away.

Since it is so common, many treatments have been advocated. Some treatments work and others don't. However, the sheer number of claims of efficacy can be overwhelming to both physicians as well as patients.

Guidelines are often created by various organizations in medicine to help both the patient as well as the physician arrive at decisions. These guidelines are formulated to let the physician and patient know what types of diagnostic criteria or treatment methods have enough evidence behind them to be recommended for use.

A new set of treatment recommendations for knee and hip osteoarthritis have been released by a scientific organization, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI).

These are evidence-based recommendations - meaning they have the power of scientific data backing them up. A subcommittee of OARSI was given the task of coming up with specific guidelines to help clear the confusion and clutter surrounding what really works and what doesn't for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.

The goals of the committee were (1) to review all of the published national and international treatment guidelines together with the more recent evidence from clinical trials and (2) to produce a single set of up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for the worldwide treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis.

The guidelines were accompanied by "grades", ie. percentages, to indicate how much evidence was behind each criterion.

The first of OARSI's 25 evidence-based recommendations was that that best treatment requires both non-drug and drug modalities. The remaining 24 recommendations fall into three categories - non-drug, drug, and surgical.

The following are the recommendations:

Non-drug - These 11 recommendations include education and self-management (97%); regular telephone contact (66%); referral to a physical therapist (89%); aerobic, muscle strengthening and water-based exercises (96%); weight reduction (96%); walking aids (90%); knee braces (76%); footware and insoles (77%); thermal modalities [heat or cold] (64%); transcutaneous electrical stimulation (58%); and acupuncture (59%).

Drug - These eight recommendations include acetaminophen (92%); non-selective and selective oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)(93%); topical NSAIDs and capsaicin (85%); intraarticular injections of corticosteroids [joint injections of "cortisone"](78%); intraarticular injections of hyaluronans [joint injections of various lubricants](64%); glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulphate for symptom relief (63%); glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin sulphate and/or diacerein for possible structure-modifying effects (41%); and the use of weak opioids and narcotic analgesics for the treatment of refractory pain (82%).

Surgical - These five recommendations include total joint replacement (96%); unicompartmental knee replacement (76%); osteotomy and joint preserving surgical procedures (75%); joint lavage and arthroscopic debridement in knee OA (60%); and joint fusion as a salvage procedure when joint replacement had failed (69%).

According to Dr. Francis Berenbaum, president elect of OARSI and a faculty member in the Department of Rheumatology at Pierre & Marie Curie University, APHP Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, "Our goal was to make these guidelines as simple as possible so that healthcare providers could determine which therapies would be most useful for an individual patient."

In recent years, there has been a decline in the use of NSAIDs by physicians because of concerns related to the potential for causing gastrointestinal side effects and the possible cardiovascular risks associated with these drugs.

However, OARSI committee members found that NSAIDs are often effective pain relievers and their short-term use should be considered on a case-by-case basis and not as a long-term option.

The guideline committee was made up of experts from six countries, including 11 rheumatologists, two primary care physicians, one orthopedic surgeon, and two experts on evidence-based medicine.

While these guidelines are helpful in regards to current therapies, there are weaknesses.

For example, research into osteoarthritis is constantly advancing and newer types of therapies exist for which there is still insufficient evidence to say whether they are effective or not.

An illustration might be cold laser where insufficient numbers of well-controlled clinical trials exist to say for sure whether it works and how well.

Second, one therapy, arthroscopic debridement has much evidence supporting its use, yet payers such as CMS (Medicare) will not pay for it citing the very few studies that don't show benefit as their evidence.

Also... the guidelines are just that. They don't say whether a given treatment will work for a specific individual.

Finally, there are cutting edge therapies such as stem cells and the use of platelet rich growth factors which show a lot of promise but for which it is much too early to know how effective they will be.

So... stay tuned!

Dog Arthritis - Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment

Arthritis affects people but also our dear pets. Statistics say that in US about 25% of pets are affected by arthritis. As a dog owner and lover, you should pay attention that your non-human friend is always in good mood, playful and that it eats well and healthy food. But if you do notice changes in your dog's mood and activity like difficulty sitting, standing, running, climbing stairs, or if it's less playful, or if it gained weight or its behavior changed you should probably pay your vet a visit. You friend could have arthritis. The veterinarian will do an examination and an X-ray to you dog. If this should be the diagnostic you'll have to start a treatment immediately. The sooner the disease is discovered the better. But most therapies only ease the pain caused by the inflammation of the joint and decrease the progression of the disease. Arthritis is a disease where the joint is poorly lubricated and spacing in the joints occurs. There are a couple of factors that can cause arthritis like the age of your dog, overweight, infection, joint trauma, the wear of cartilage, the breakdown of the cartilage which is most likely the result of poor lubrication and hydraulic spacing in the joints. Before you start treating your dog's arthritis you should talk with a veterinary first. Your vet, before prescribing medications, will do some blood tests to your dog to be sure that you dog will metabolize these drugs and not will suffer from side effects like diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite. Common treatments include a diet and an exercising plan to lose and maintain a normal weight, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, over-the-counter pet treatments and natural remedies. Many veterinarians prescribe drugs containing glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane. Glucosamine is a natural component found in your dog's cartilage and it's found mainly in shellfish and sea creatures. Practically, when this component is added to your dog's diet in higher doses it stimulates the repair of damaged joints. When choosing the right medication containing glucosamine you should always go for a liquid form because it's active ingredients are absorbed faster and better and where it's most needed.

For dogs with inherited bone conditions, like knee or hip dysphasia, glucosamine supplements may be useful. They also recommend including in your dog diet, other natural ingredients like Vitamin C, Boswellia, Greenlip Mussels, Zinc Selenium, Manganese, Bromelain that help ease the pain, reduce inflammation and repair the damaged cartilage. For decreasing the inflammatory effects of arthritis antioxidant vitamins and fatty acid supplements are also recommended and used as a natural remedy. Surgery may be offered as an option in cases where there is no improvement from physical therapy or medications or in advanced cases of arthritis. But there are fewer and fewer veterinarians that will accept to perform this kind of procedure as they are not equipped or qualified accordingly. Prevention is important when it comes to arthritis.

If your dog is not affected by arthritis yet you can try to prevent this disease from affecting your dog by starting to include joint support ingredients in their middle years diet, by paying more attention to what your pets eats and in what quantities, by making an yearly appointment to the veterinary. Although glucosamine is a cure it has been shown it is also a good preventive measure. You should also take into account that recovery of dogs with arthritis takes time and you need to give them proper care and the extra attention.

My Rheumatologist Says I Have Undifferentiated Arthritis-What is that?

Among those who seek out a rheumatologist's assistance for joint symptoms, one of the most common diagnoses is undifferentiated arthritis (UA). This means a specific diagnosis is not yet possible.

Spontaneous remission occurs in 40 to 50 percent of UA patients, while about one-third develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatologists must make a decision regarding whether to initiate disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) immediately... or to wait a bit.

To investigate the question as to what could or should be done, researchers with the Early Arthritis Clinic at Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands, developed a formula to help determine whether patients who present with UA are likely to progress to RA.

They looked at a total of 1,700 arthritis patients. The Leiden investigators then identified 570 patients with recent-onset UA and monitored their disease for one year. At the end of one year, 177 of the original UA patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for RA and 150 had achieved remission; the remaining 94 had been diagnosed with another arthritic condition.

Through a combination of questionnaires, physical examination, and blood samples, the team identified 9 clinical variables with independent predictive value for RA: gender, age, localization of symptoms, morning stiffness, the tender joint count, the swollen joint count, the C-reactive protein level, rheumatoid factor positivity, and the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies.

They then created a prediction scoring system

The prediction score, ranging from 0 to 14, was calculated for every patient in the group, with a higher score indicating a greater risk of developing RA. None of the patients who had a prediction score of less than 3 progressed to RA during the year-long observation. In contrast, all of the patients who had a prediction score of 11 or greater progressed to RA. Among the patients with scores between 4 and 10 who experienced progression to RA, the frequency of such progression increased with rising scores.

The percentage of patients in whom RA developed was also assessed according to several cutoff values of the prediction score. For example, when the scores 5.0 and 9.0 were chosen as cutoff values, 97 percent of patients with UA who had a score equal to or less than 5.0 did not develop RA, and a score of equal to or greater than 9.0 was associated with progression to RA in 84 percent of the patients.

"Because the prediction rule is accurate and can be easily determined in daily clinical practice, the present model is an important step forward in achieving individualized treatment in patients with recent-onset UA," notes chief spokesperson Dr. Tom W. J. Huizinga. "... we believe that the current model allows physicians and patients to make an evidence-based choice regarding whether or not to initiate DMARDs, in the majority of patients presenting with UA."
[van der Helm-van Mil AHM, le Cessie S, van Dongen H, Breedveld FC, Toes REM, Huizinga TWJ. A Prediction Rule for Disease Outcome in Patients With Recent-Onset Undifferentiated Arthritis: How to Guide Individual Treatment Decisions. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2007: 57 (2).]

Authors note: A version of this prediction scale is already used by practitioners in the United States. By taking into consideration multiple variables, a rheumatologist can usually arrive at a decision about whether to start DMARD therapy or not. One measure that was omitted from the Dutch study that we often use in the U.S. is the use of an imaging procedure such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound. These imaging procedures are invaluable for early detection of inflammatory damage (diagnosis) and staging.

We do know that the earlier treatment is started, the more likely a patient will achieve remission. We also know that the more aggressive we are at the beginning of RA, the more likely we are to avoid permanent irreparable damage. On the flip side, the use of strong DMARD therapy or biologic therapy should be tempered with the knowledge that these drugs do have potentially severe side effects.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Herbal Remedies - Natural Healing Alternatives

If you suffer from RA, then you may be interested in rheumatoid arthritis herbal remedies. More and more people are turning to natural alternatives after the major bad press over the last few years about prescription drugs, and especially drug treatments for arthritis.

As most people know by know, the COX-2 inhibitor drugs produced by pharmaceutical drugs have come under intense scrutiny after Vioxx, produced by Merck, was shown to significantly increase the chance of suffering stroke or heart attack in people taking it.

Other treatment method also have significant risks. Aspirin and ibuprofen, which help fight inflammation, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, and ulcers if taken for long periods.

Corticosteroids, which can also offset inflammation, are another treatment that can only be used only for short periods because of possible horrible side effects.

Rheumatoid arthritis herbal remedies consist of the following:

Turmeric contains curcumin, which is yellow pigment that gives turmeric its color. Curcumin is used as a spice in ethnic dishes, such as Indian food. Recent research has shown that it harbors a great deal of anti-inflammatory action.

Because inflammation is at the root of rheumatoid arthritis, all treatments and remedies should have anti-inflammatory properties.

Devil's claw root - Despite its sinister name, it is believed to have inflammation fighting properties. However, it may aggravate certain conditions, such as peptic ulcers and may make acid reflux worse.

Feverfew - Feverfew has been used to treat arthritis and fevers for centuries. Extracts of the herb have been shown to inhibit inflammation as it occurs.

Ginger - Another of the more popular rheumatoid arthritis herbal remedies. Ginger, fresh giner, lighly cooked as in traditional Asian dishes or raw. Contrary to belief, there is no active ingredient of ginger in ginger ale or ginger candies. Fresh ginger root harbors anti-inflammatories and studies show that people using it achieve some measure of pain and swelling relief.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - Although omega 3 fatty acids are not rheumatoid arthritis herbal remedies, they are essential nutrients that the vast majority of people in the Western world do not get enough of. And they are powerful anti-inflammatories, in addition to having numerous other benefits for the health of the brain and heart.

Some websites, such as the University of Maryland Medical Center, state:

"Most clinical studies investigating the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for inflammatory joint conditions have focused...on rheumatoid arthritis. Several articles reviewing the research in this area conclude that omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduce tenderness in joints, decrease morning stiffness, and allow for a reduction in the amount of medication needed for people with rheumatoid arthritis."

The best source of omega 3 fatty acids are purified, molecularly distilled fish oil supplements.

There you have it, herbal remedies to consider if you have rheumatoid arthritis and wish to avoid prescription meds.

Osteoarthritis Diet

Diet is an important ingredient in maintaining a perfect physique and disease proof body. With 70% Americans being victims of obesity, the first step in treating any disease is weight reduction. Diet control programs are based on individual preferences as certain people are allergic to certain food items or tend to put on fat easily.

Begin by checking different food items such as dairy products, meats, and green vegetables in quantity, quality, and portions to have an idea of what is best suited for your condition and body type. Sometimes Osteoarthritis patients are allergic to fish or other meat products and need substitutes. A vegetarian diet that includes green vegetables, carrots, avocado, seaweeds, barley and wheat, grass products, pecans, soy products, sprouts, brown rice, millet or oats is equally effective. Certain food items and drinks such as alcohol, coffee, sugar, saturated fat, margarine, excess salt, spinach, cranberries, plums and nuts need to be avoided.

The ideal diet for osteoarthritis patients is food rich in Vitamin E found in beef, corn, egg yolks, nuts wheat germ and sunflower oil. This helps minimize tissue damage due to aging, smoking or stress. Omega-3 fatty acids if consumed regularly help reduce inflammation and best source for this is oily fish variety. Vitamin C found in citrus fruits, melons, kiwi fruit, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries needs to be included in diet.

Good sources of Silicon that calcifies and strengthen bones are wholegrain cereals, oats, barley, and root vegetables. Copper and Zinc available through food sources such as oysters, crab, almonds, beans, prunes, lamb, pork, mushrooms, whole grains, beef, liver, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds help in reducing inflammation of the cartilage of joints. Diary products, preservatives, and acidic fruits should be left alone. The idea is to maintain a healthy body weight and successfully control Osteoarthritis.