Traditional Treatment of Arthritis
Written by Tara Smith Monday, 08 January 2007 04:16
For over fifty years, the painful affliction of arthritis has been treated with conventional medical practices. Combining a mixture of exercises, painkillers and surgery where required, this type of treatment has enjoyed a relatively high rate of success, hence the reason for continued use as opposed to newer, less conventional methods of treatment.
Painkillers are not the solution to the problem. They mask the symptoms by providing temporary relief and often worsen the disease. Besides, they have side effects; most drugs prescribed for arthritis pain can upset the stomach and cause nausea and diarrhea. Sometimes, these drugs can compromise the wall of the gut and then the antigens leak into the system, enter the bloodstream and end up in a joint.
Once there, they will trigger an attack by the white blood cells that are the body’s defense system. The trouble is this causes more pain and inflammation as the white blood cells release prostaglandins and leukotrienes in an attempt to dispose of the enemy. They also release digestive enzymes to dispose of bacteria, but these often begin to attack and digest the actual cartilage, bone, ligament and muscle that are supposed to be saved. This can then become a chronic problem, which is what happens in RA (rheumatoid arthritis) especially.
Even simple drugs like aspirin become harmful if taken over a long period; they rob the body of essential vitamins and minerals. Loss of these bodybuilding nutrients, especially the B group vitamins, can cause more pain and inflammation due to the breakdown of cartilage, bone and other important tissues.
Non-steroid drugs such as ibuprofen and Indocid may help to relieve the pain and swelling that is the common result in arthritis symptoms, yet in the long-term can cause stomach problems due to the chemicals involved. Even the likes of Celebrex can cause cardiovascular issues, although it is better for the stomach than the other two methods.
Steroids are a slightly more feasible option, but those too can have their drawbacks. Although effective as painkillers, arthritis treatments that use steroids like penicillamine can lead to the reduction of copper in your body. If you suffer from arthritis of the gout, then the usual method of treatment is colchicines, yet this can lower the amount of Vitamin B12 your body produces.
Disease-modifying and immunosuppressive drugs are sometimes given, but they have serious side effects too, so must be closely monitored. Some of these include: - gold, by injection or orally, methotrexate (Matrex), and anti-malarial drugs to name just a few.
When drugs don’t seem to work, or the side effects are too serious, doctors may suggest surgery. Knee and hip replacements seem to be the flavor of the month and the success rate is about 95%, with most patients becoming pain-free. Replaced joint can last for up to fifteen years and when they start to give trouble can be replaced. There are a few unfortunates for whom the operation is not successful and the artificial joint must be removed. They are then left in a more debilitating condition than they started with.
Apart from the complete replacement of the joint, there are other surgery options like removing inflamed joint cavity linings, repairing damaged tendons or removing them completely. Doctors have succeeded in removing part of a bone that is causing pain; they have also released trapped nerves, and fused a joint to make it more stable. Therefore, it is advisable that you discuss the line of action or treatment with your doctor thoroughly before going in for any proposed surgery. You must be fully aware of the risks involved.
Article Source : http://www.articleboy.com
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