Relieve the Pain of Arthritis with Arthritis Pain Reliever
Arthritis, although very common, is one of the less understood of all diseases. Researchers as of today were not able to determine the exact cause of this disease although fortunately, they were able to come up with some risk factors associated with it. Some of them are: (a) Increased age – The older the higher the risk of having one; (b) Gender – According to most studies, females are more susceptible to arthritis than males; (c) Health status – Lifestyle also plays an important role in developing an arthritis. Overweight people have a higher probability of suffering from it, as compared to their lightweight counterparts. So common is this disease that many scientists are taking part in different medical researches in order to find possible medications. An arthritis pain reliever is a drug that can be taken (by ingestion or injection) to somehow alleviate the soaring pain. The pain usually comes from the inflammation of the ligaments. Ligaments are tissues that bind together joints placing them in a stable position. When inflamed, joints cannot move the usual way, causing stiffness and difficulty in moving the affected part.
Though many drugs that can treat arthritis are now available on the market, there are some home-ready treatments that can be used to ease the pain brought about by it. Acupuncture is an old medical technique that was proven to be an arthritis pain reliever. In this technique, fine needles are used to puncture into special points in the patient’s body. In the process, normal pain relievers such as endorphins, are released that can eliminate the pain for sometime. Some researchers also found that some kinds of fish oils can lessen the stiffness and pain of arthritis. These can be obtained form natural sources such as natural fish cuisines and products.
You don’t have to bear with arthritis all the time. If you can’t afford to buy commercial medications, turn to the cheap but effective means of fighting the disease. Just remember that being wise is another arthritis pain reliever.
Tags: Arthritis, pain, Relieve, Reliever
Omega 3: Arthritis Cure Or Not?
Taking omega 3 for arthritis has become a very popular treatment in western society. This is with good reason, because there is some solid evidence that arthritis suffers can benefit tremendously form increasing their omega 3 consumption.
Omega 3 fatty acids are called essential fats, because the body cannot manufacture its own omega 3, you have to consume it through your diet or supplementation. Good natural sources are all of the cold water sea fishes and nuts. Most people consume enough omega 6 through their diets, but we are often undernourished when it comes to omega 3. You will have to eat cold water fish four to six times per week to take in enough omega 3. Some studies suggest that additional supplementation will have an added therapeutic effect on many diseases. This can have all kinds of permutations for your health, since solid research now shows that supplementing with omega 3 can aid in the following illnesses: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, osteoporosis, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, skin disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, macular degeneration, menstrual pain, colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Omega 3 Reduces Inflammation
Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, so it has benefits for some chronic diseases related to inflammation in the body, like arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Interestingly, omega 6 fatty acids (found in cooking oils and margarine) actually promote inflammation, so there really is no need to supplement with omega 6. The typical western diet contains about 25 as much omega 6 as compared to omega 3. Consequently, the west has a much higher occurrence of inflammation related illnesses compared to other populations around the world where people predominantly consume omega 3 fats from sources such as fish and nuts.
Just one example to illustrate the above point is a study where people who ate fish twice a week had a 43% reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to a group that only consumed one serving of fish per week.
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis involves inflammation in the joints, so any supplement that reduces inflammation in the body should grab your attention if you suffer from joint pain.
So how does omega 3 reduce inflammation in the body? Many sources are quite vague about this, but the best explanation I have come across is that the omega 3 fatty acids convert into compounds thousands of times more effective than the fatty acids themselves. This helps to bring the body’s natural inflammatory response to an end. Omega 3 acts in on the same pathway in your body that caused the inflammation in the first place, and then switches it off. I told you it was vague…?
With daily supplementation, there are about 20 studies that show a reduction in inflammation, the number of tender points and morning stiffness. Some patients using omega 3 supplements for rheumatoid arthritis have found that they can manage with less of their daily dosage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This is good news, because as you know, the NSAIDs have many side effects that omega 3 (as a natural food) does not have. Many patients have found that a combination of their NSAID of choice and omega 3 forms part of an effective supplementation programme.
Interestingly, in one study, researchers administered omega 3 intravenously and after one treatment per day for one week, the patients reported a significant reduction in their joint pain related to arthritis.
Although most studies are about rheumatoid arthritis, it is obvious that supplementing with omega 3 will benefit you if you suffer from osteoarthritis, because it lowers the levels of inflammation in the joints. A reduction in inflammation will lead to a reduction in pain. Omega 3 will not cure osteoarthritis, because there is in fact no cure for osteoarthritis, only ways of relieving the pain and stopping the further progression of the condition.