Rheumatoid Arthritis Facts: Affects 6.5 million people (incidence 3 times higher in women) A chronic, inflammatory disease that primarily attacks the peripheral joints (hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist-hand, ankle-feet) An auto-immune disease that attacks the joints and their surrounding connective tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels) causing inflammation with each attack End result of repeated inflammation is scar tissue Scar tissue fills the joint space causing decreased mobility and misalignment of joints Initial Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Initial signs are non-specific such as fatigue, low-grade fever, weight loss Joint pain commonly begins in the finger and toe joints, but can also occur in the wrists/ankles, elbows/knees Joint pain is usually bilateral and symmetrical Pain is more common in the morning or after a long period of inactivity; stiffness can last up to several hours (differentiating RA from osteoarthritis) Mild joint inflammation may be seen Joints are painful with activity Joints may feel hot to the touch Flare-ups can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks Symptoms may disappear for weeks, months or years (known as remission) This week we will examine alternative therapies to manage RA flare-ups.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 23:24:10 +0000
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