7 Major Differences Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis is a very painful condition that affects millions and millions of Americans every year. There are many different types of arthritis including psoriatic arthritis, gout, septic arthritis, scleroderma, osteoarthritis, gonococcal arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis of all types is a condition that affects the body's joints. A joint is defined as the location where two bones in the body come together. People suffering from arthritis experience joint inflammation that may occur in one bodily joint or many joints.

Two types of arthritis that are commonly discussed include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. You may be wondering what some of the major differences are between these two conditions. Here are seven major differences between osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

1. Osteoarthritis is more common than Rheumatoid Arthritis. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), OA affects around 27 million American adults 25 years and older. The Arthritis Foundation reports that RA affects about 1.5 million people in the United States.


2. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition caused by the wearing of bodily joints over time. RA is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person's immune system attacks the body's joints.


3. Typically people experience OA when they get older. RA can strike a person at any point in life. When it occurs in children, it is sometimes called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.


4. RA can occur quite quickly whereas OA tends to have a more gradual progression over the course of many years.


5. RA tends to strike in a more symmetrical manner where a person might experience inflammation and pain in both hands or both feet. In contrast, OA can easily affect only one joint in the body.


6. Both types of arthritis cause a sense of stiffness in the morning. While the morning stiffness may lessen as the day goes on for those with OA, people with RA are more likely to experience this stiffness for a longer period of time during and throughout the day.


7. Rheumatoid arthritis is often accompanied with other symptoms which include overall tiredness and malaise, whereas the discomfort associated with osteoarthritis is specific to the joint that is affected.

Arthritis of any type is painful and challenging. Treatment most typically aims to help reduce discomfort, aid physical functioning and if possible, to prevent additional damage to bodily joints.

A thorough physical examination by a trained health care professional like a board certified orthopedic physician is advisable if you think you might be suffering from any type of arthritis including osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - Natural Treatments, Diet and Exercise

Rheumatoid Arthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis. It is a chronic disorder and there is no cure. Once you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the goal is to treat the symptoms of the disease in order to lead as normal a life as possible. There are treatments that can help to lessen the frequency of the symptoms and treatments that can be used to alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Once you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you should consult your physician and devise a plan of treatment that is right for you personally.

Diet and Exercise for Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet and exercise are essential for your overall health. A healthy diet can help you to avoid outbreaks of rheumatoid arthritis. Avoid foods such as dairy products, milk, beef, and wheat. These foods can sometimes trigger the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, the best diet is one that is low in protein and high in carbohydrates. You should begin a regular exercise routine. It is always best to consult your physician or a professional trainer when beginning an exercise regimen. The key is to build up the muscles around your joints, which enables your muscles to help carry the load when your joints are inflamed. If the muscles around the joints are weak, this causes more pressure to be put on the joints and can result in more frequent bouts of inflammation. Work with a physical therapist or personal trainer to devise an exercise regimen that is right for you - one that helps you to strengthen the muscles and joints without over-straining.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments

There are many rheumatoid arthritis treatments. Many physicians will recommend medications to treat the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. You should discuss these medications with your physician; research the medications in order to learn of known side effects, interactions with other medications, and interactions with foods.

Some medications can hinder your ability to live a normal life. You want to learn as much as you can so that you are able to make an informed decision about the treatment that will fit your lifestyle. Some people believe the relief of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms is worth the risks involved with taking medications. Others prefer to use natural rheumatoid arthritis treatments. There are many natural treatments that have been successful in the treatment of the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Natural Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments

Some natural and herbal rheumatoid arthritis treatments include the following:

• Hot water - exercise the affected joints in a tub of hot water


• Mangosteen - treats both inflammation and pain


• Olive Oil and Kerosene - relieves inflammation of joints


• Hot vinegar - use as a rub for affected joints


• Comfrey - used as a salve to relieve inflammation


• Sandalwood Powder Paste - make a paste and rub on affected joints to relieve inflammation


• Water aerobics - helps produce endorphins in the brain that help to relieve pain


• Alfalfa tea - drink twice a day


• Camphor and Coconut Oil - used to massage affected joints


• Valerian - a natural sedative used to relieve pain


• Omega-3 fatty acids - found in foods such as fish and walnuts


• Emu Oil - used to massage affected joints


• Pineapple juice - drink daily to minimize the flare up of symptoms


• Fruit Pectin and Cranberry Juice - drink daily


• Epsom salts - soak in a tub filled with hot water (as hot as you can stand) and Epsom salts to relieve inflammation and pain


• Black Sesame Seeds - soaked overnight and taken first thing in the morning

These are some of the many natural remedies that can be found to help alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis and to avoid a flare up of the symptoms. While rheumatoid arthritis treatments are essential to help you maintain the quality of life you are accustomed to, the most important thing you can do for yourself - both before and after - is to maintain a health diet and exercise routine.

Chiropractic Care For Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a problem that usually affects people who are 50 years of age or more. It is a very common joint disorder. The cartilage cushions that exist in between joints and the bones that make the joints are worn out in osteoarthritis. This disease results in abnormal growth of bone as with time, more cartilage begins to ear out and bone on bone wearing takes place.

Pain and Stiffness are the major signs of suffering from osteoarthritis. It gets pretty painful after prolonged sitting and getting up and also in the morning. Change in humidity or rainy weather also increases the pain most of the times. If osteoarthritis prevents you from doing daily activities or activities that you like doing, then it can have a big impact on the quality of your life.

There are many treatments that are available in recent times for osteoarthritis. Chiropractic treatment not only reduces the pain but also treat you so that you get a long term relief from the pain. Medications and anti-inflammatory can give you relief but it is just a temporary relief. You can suffer complications and gastrointestinal problems due to these drugs.

The best and most natural method of treatment for osteoarthritis is chiropractic treatment. It depends on the complexity of the situation and also on the patient. The patient starts to feel good after the treatment and the process does not hurt. The condition of the patient and the complexity of the situation also affect the treatment. Reduction in pain, reduction in stiffness and restoring the normal motion of the joint are some of the results of the manipulation. Ice and heat can also be used to provide relief.

A very important aspect of chiropractic treatment for osteoarthritis is proper and healthy nutrition. Supplements like glucosamine, fish oils, chondrotin sulfate and many more can prove to be very helpful. Avoiding some specific foods can reduce inflammation and hence reduce pain and improve healing. In order to find out what would be the best supplement for you, you should get in touch with your chiropractor as different things suit different situations.

Regular visits to your chiropractor may be able to help you prevent osteoarthritis. Correcting dysfunctional joints allows proper movement and can reduce your risk of the disease. It will also help keep discs stay healthy and prevent other causes of joint pain. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, speak with your chiropractor to learn how they can help you conservatively control your symptoms and prevent the progression of the disease.

In order to prevent osteoarthritis, you should visit your chiropractor regularly. You can easily reduce the risk of this disease by correcting any dysfunctional joints and hence keep the movements normal. This prevents other causes of pain in the joints and helps in keeping the discs healthy. If you have the problem of osteoarthritis, then you should consult your chiropractor so that he or she can help you in treating the problem and reduce the pain.

What Is GNC Triflex?

If there is a way to avoid health problems, then do it. Things like joint pain are not inescapable! Just because you are gaining age does not mean you have to adopt arthritis. Holisitic health supplements can help relieve and avoid joint pain and problems. GNC Triflex is a natural supplement that helps you move freely and without pain, swelling, and stiffness. Even if you suffer from mild to severe pains, GNC Triflex can help.

First off, are you aware that you can avoid joint pains? The whole point of products like GNC Triflex is to not just stop the pain, but to help people PREVENT it from ever coming. It is understandable why someone would think that conditions like arthritis and osteoarthritis or joint pains are just a side effect of growing old. Yes your body changes as you age, but these conditions can all be easily defeated! Beyond having a healthy diet, getting a good rest, and excising, there is also the idea of taking supplements to help stop and prevent joint pain. GNC Triflex is a great example of a daily supplement that can help with these problems.

GNC Triflex uses MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin to make up its formula.

MSM: also known as methylsulfonylmethane, MSM and is known for its ability to relieve pain caused by OA (osteoarthritis). It is said to help strengthen tissues because it distributes sulfur to the body. MSM has been animal tested and proven for its ability to help with inflammation.

Glucosamine: is an amino sugar that is used in a lot of supplements that used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Glucosamine has gone through many different clinical studies showing significant physical improvement. Is supposed to help prevent cartilage degeneration.

Chondroitin: often paired with glucosamine for the treatment of join pains. It is known for its ability to create cartilage. This also helps with the breaking down and repairing of cartilage. This will also help reduce pains and stiffness.

Users are instructed to take 3 capsules a day of GNC Triflex. It is also recommended to take this product with meals.

This supplements fights as a triple threat in the battle of joint pains. Osteoarthritis and arthritis don't have to take over your life. By incorporating glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin into your daily schedule, you can greatly improve your joint health. Not only will it treat the aches, but it will improvement stiffness and swelling.

Ultrasonic Therapy And Arthritis

Effectively a form of massage, ultrasonic therapy for pain depends upon sound waves that are impelled unto human tissue where they cause rapid, gentle vibration and slight local heating. As such waves travel through human tissue, different frequencies are absorbed by different tissues in the human body, for example, skin, fat, muscle and bone. One reason for a frequency being well absorbed by a particular tissue is that it is the frequency at which the molecules of that tissue naturally vibrate. Ultrasonic massage devices operate at frequencies designed to resonate with (that is, to set off sympathetic vibrations in) a wide range of human tissues.

As sound waves travel through human tissues, their vibrations cause alternate loosening and tightening of cell walls. This stimulates the metabolism, and it can also improve blood circulation. Sound waves can have therapeutic effects on tissues beneath the surface of the body, including some that may be affected by arthritis, which may be difficult to treat with other therapies. Stiffened joints can be relaxed through ultrasonic therapy. People with knee pain and lower back pain testify to benefits from this form of treatment. Pain signals normally travel from the site of the stimulus via a peripheral nerve to the spinal cord then to the brain.

One theory of how TENS works proposes that it makes specific cells in the spinal cord less responsive to pain signals, reducing the perception of pain in the brain. A second theory ascribes the pain relieving effect to electrical impulses stimulating the release of endorphins, the brain's natural painkillers, which block the pain. Some complementary therapists recommended fasting as a treatment for arthritis in order to detoxify the system and eliminate long accumulated waste products. Fasting should last no longer than three days unless you are under medical supervision.

It is essential to drink a glass of water every hour when you are fasting. Fasting has no proven benefits for the treatment of arthritis. Aspirin is a simple analgesic, which relieves pain in body tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and joints, particularly when associated with inflammation. It can be taken in pill form or, most effectively, dissolved in water. May irritate the stomach and, if taken on a long term basis, may cause stomach ulcers. Penicillamine is taken orally, at least an hour before food. It can alter your sense of taste, but this should diminish after a few weeks. Otherwise the side effects are just like any other drugs used to treat pain.

Your Blood Type and AutoImmune Disease, Inflammation and Fatique

In order to maximize your health and reduce your chances of developing autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's, Celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and other illnesses, it pays to know your blood type. Let's explore this concept in more detail.

Most people pay little attention to the type of blood they have, as it seems it is only important when you are scheduled for an operation or other procedure when you might need blood products given to you...or when you are having a baby.

However, science has shown blood type is indeed important for reducing disease and illness and living a more energetic, healthy life. A life that allows you more time to focus on your dreams, desires, family and friends...instead of visits to the doctor or hospital.

I earned certification in blood type (BT) science from the Institute for Human Individuality and currently hold a fellow from that organization. As a result of this training I have learned about the direct and indirect relationships between what we choose to eat and various disease processes that plague humanity and have seen first hand the benefits of typing blood for developing dietary recommendations.

Most people are familiar with ABO blood typing. There are 4 of these blood types: O, which makes up 45% of the worlds population, A, which comprises 40% of world population, B, which is 11% of global population and lastly AB, which only makes up 4% of the world's population.

Genetic control is what determines your specific BT. Just a small piece of sugar that's stuck on the outside of your red blood cell creates your blood type. Each one of your cells contains millions of different sugars, including the blood type sugars. These sugars are manufactured by the cell, controlled by your DNA. Just like eye or hair color is a genetic quality, your blood type is a very unique part of who you are. Your BT doesn't change either- if you're AB, you will always be AB.

The sugar for type O is fucose. The sugar for type A is a combination of fucose and N-Acetyl galactosamine (or GalNac for short). The type B sugar is fucose with D-Galactose. Type AB is a combination of A and B, with all three blood type sugars. This is why AB is the universal receiver of blood. The immune system works by identifying what is "you" and what is "not you". Since AB has all three sugars on its blood cells, it recognizes each one and won't cause a rejection. Type O is the opposite, known as the universal donor. Since O blood doesn't have GalNac or D-Galactose, it sees the other blood types as "not me" and will try to destroy them. The same is true for B and A. They can receive blood from O, but not from each other.

People are not the only ones with blood types. The sugars (antigens) that make our blood type are actually all around us in the environment. They can be found in a variety of animals, microbes, dirt and even food. One example is the virus. Many types of viruses have antigens, like our own antigens, that are made of D-galactose. D-galactose is what makes blood type B, so when somebody who is type B contracts a virus, their chance of infection is greater. Just like a transfusion works on "self" vs. "non-self", if a virus looks like you (type B), your body is going to be less likely to destroy it than if it looked like type A. The most important point is that some foods have blood type antigens too. The best example of this is milk, which contains large amounts of D-galactose, the type B sugar. Pork is another example, as a source of GalNac, the Type A sugar. Seaweed is a significant source of fucose, the sugar for all the blood types.

Foods also have substances known as lectins which act upon our specific blood type to cause various alterations in our body function such as:

• Causing our blood cells to stick together


• Trigger body-wide inflammation


• Act as insulin by attaching to insulin receptors on cells which leads to weight gain


• Trigger autoimmune attack


• Trigger digestive system malfunction and pain


• Creative intestinal damage leading to Leaky Gut Syndrome and as a result brain inflammation


• Interrupt nerve signals in the body and alter levels of neurotransmitters and thus cause nerve and brain malfunction leading to ADD and even Alzheimers disease.


• Create joint inflammation leading to various types of arthritis.


• Alter hormonal levels and lead to thyroid malfunction


• ...and more

Due to the many health damaging effects various lectins can have on the health of people with different blood types, it behoove the health practitioner to utilize blood type in formulating individualized dietary recommendations. I invite you to learn more so you can be healthier.

Chronic Arthritis Pain

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, and for most people brings with it pain and stiffness in the affected areas. Pain is generally defined as either "acute" or "chronic," with acute pain being the short-term variety. After three months, pain is considered to be chronic. Both of these types of pain can be mild to severe and, for too many people suffering from arthritis, chronic pain is present in their activities of daily living. Indeed, many will be dealing with pain for the rest of their lives.

As stated on WebMD, "Chronic pain is a major health problem in the United States and is one of the most weakening effects of arthritis. More than 40 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, and many have chronic pain that limits daily activity. Osteoarthritis is by far the most common form of arthritis, affecting about 16 million Americans, while rheumatoid arthritis, which affects about 2.1 million Americans, is the most crippling form of the disease." Obviously, arthritis and the chronic pain that so very many are suffering from are not isolated instances.

Unfortunately, these numbers are on the rise as our population ages. Many people may find themselves dealing with arthritic moments along with their senior moments. However, just because a body is aging, it does not follow that that body must have joint pain.

There is hope among all the doom and gloom. Healthcare providers, from primary care physicians to physical therapists and rheumatologists, are recognizing the value of exercise as part of a plan to relieve arthritis pain, even in fairly severe, chronic cases! It is a natural inclination to want to rest and move around as little as possible when we are in pain, when in fact, it can actually make matters worse for those with arthritis pain. This is not to say that just any exercise is recommended; it is definitely a good idea to consult with a professional to ensure that you are choosing exercises that will bring about positive results.

Supplements are also popping up for everything everywhere. Joint pain relief is gaining attention in the supplement aisle. It is probably safe to assume that most people are aware of glucosamine and chondroitin, and the difference that these two substances are making in the lives of joint pain sufferers. One of the newer choices hitting the shelves is made from cetylated fatty acids, and is most commonly found under the brand name of Celadrin. This alternative has been shown to work well all on its own or as an addition to a glucosamine/chondroitin regimen. As with so many supplements it appears to become more effective as use continues. These supplements work to restore lubrication and reduce inflammation in the joints, providing pain relief and better range of motion!

Just as each person has their own pain to deal with, they also have to find a system that works for them. It is possible to feel better and enjoy life! Talk to your doctor about exercise and supplements that may be able to help and go enjoy life!