As we age, our bodies are worn down, and damage is caused to these joints, thereby weakening them and causing the person to suffer due to pain and stiffness, less movement, instability and physical deformation. To help combat these issues, natural arthritis pain relief can be given to the patients.

Understanding Arthritis

As people age, they naturally grow weak and a significant damage occurs to their bones and joints, which results in pain and stiffness. The term arthritis is used to signify the pain and ache in muscles, bones and joints.

The effect of arthritis pain on the lives of those suffering from it is huge, making it extremely difficult for them to move, and therefore without any natural arthritis pain relief they are unable to perform the most mundane of tasks done every day.

People suffering for arthritis and other bone problems such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or any other arthritis symptoms will find it a hurdle to perform simple tasks such as walking, driving, brushing their teeth or even using a computer.

When we think of arthritis patient, most of the time an old person will cross our mind, but that’s not always the case. Even though this disease is mostly common in people over 60 years of age, it is found in groups of all ages, including children and infants. That’s why most people prefer a natural arthritis pain relief as opposed to pharmaceutical medication with heavy chemical doses.

At times, arthritis gets confused with a similar disease called rheumatism, however there are a few differences which most people don’t realize. Rheumatism affects the muscles, tendons, cartilages and ligaments besides affecting joints. Along with this, internal body areas are also affected by this disease, therefore taking a natural arthritis pain relief is of the utmost importance.

Types of Arthritis

Arthritis has many different forms, where pain occurs not only to a person’s joints but other areas as well, including skin, chest, eyes, lungs, kidneys or anywhere else on the body.

There are over 100 different kind of medical conditions related to arthritis, for all of which, a natural arthritis pain relief is available. Out of these types, the two most common ones are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. I’ll provide brief explanations on them:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This type of arthritis causes inflammation of the joints. It’s a type of auto immune condition which means that it affects our body’s defense system from functioning properly. Rheumatoid Arthritis is the result of the body’s immune system attacking the joint lining, causes it to break down and become inflamed.

Not only does this affect joints and bones, but body organs are also not spared. The most common limbs attacked by Rheumatoid Arthritis are hands and feet. Women tend to get this serious condition more than men.

Osteoarthritis

This form of arthritis occurs when joint cartilage is lost due to wear and tear. Osteoarthritis is mostly a result of old age and directly affects the joints of hips, knees and fingers.

Other types

include gout, lupus, juvenile arthritis (arthritis in children), viral hepatitis (liver), ankylosing spondylitis (spine), scleroderma (skin) and fibromyalgia (muscles).

Arthritis Symptoms

A patient is diagnosed with arthritis when they complain of any type of arthritis pain such as joint pain, joint stiffness, inflammation or swelling. Inflamed joints will have a red hue and appear to be tender, while feeling warm on touching. Besides this, patients will also experience insomnia, fatigue, depression and muscle pains.

The symptoms of this disease may appear gradually over time or suddenly at once. Doctors perform various tests, including x-rays and blood tests to acknowledge the extent and type of arthritis. Once the severity of the condition is known, a natural arthritis pain relief is recommended to help combat the disease.

Arthritis Causes

The most common factors leading to arthritis pain are age, genetics, being overweight, deficiencies in nutrition, joint trauma or stress, immune or metabolic disorders and occupational hazards such as jobs involving heavy construction.

Arthritis Treatment

There are many conventional drugs that can bring down arthritis pain, but most of them have serious side effects. And since arthritis is such a condition that its medication is taken over a long period of time, most patients prefer drugs that are more natural since they don’t have any negative effects on the patients.

More and more doctors are now also referring their patients to natural arthritis pain relief, as this provides better results while being a gentle, mild and effective solution.

Natural arthritis pain relief includes herbal and homeopathic remedies and contains Glucosamine as an ingredient. Glucosamine is a world renowned agent for repairing joint cartilages affected by arthritis pain while preserving joint mobility. Another important ingredient found in natural arthritis pain relief is Boswellia, which is a natural component used for reducing inflammation.

Alfalfa is another natural herb which reduces arthritis pain without any unwanted side effects. Patients can try another trick for a natural arthritis pain relief: rubbing a mixture of cayenne and oil over the affected area.

Some of the interesting findings ion rheumatoid arthritis are summarized below…

One study described the combination of etanercept (Enbrel) and methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis. The study found that disease progression is less frequent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who haven’t responded to methotrexate alone if it is continued at the same time the biologic drug etanercept (Enbrel) is started. After randomizing “151 patients with active RA to etanercept, 25 mg twice a week plus methotrexate 6mg to 8 mg/week, or to etanercept alone,” researchers found the following… Significant differences in joint erosion scores (joint damage scores) were seen after two years of combined etanercept plus methotrexate compared with etanercept alone. These results were reported by Hideto Kameda, MD, of Keio University in Tokyo, and colleagues at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Another hot topic at the American College of Rheumatology meeting is an investigational compound called JAK. JAK has attracted increasing interest as a drug target in rheumatoid arthritis because it’s pivotal to the inflammatory response. It’s an enzyme that serves as the traffic director for the release of tumor necrosis factor and other cytokines (protein messengers) that accelerate inflammation in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The weakness of JAK is that it is an enzyme whose effects can be blocked by an oral, small-molecule drug.

There are three forms of JAK simply known as JAK 1, JAK 2, and JAK 3. Pfizer has a JAK inhibitor called tasocitinib. Earlier reports from the ACR meeting about this compound showed that it was extremely effective as well as possessing an acceptable safety profile. Tasocitinib blocks JAK 1 and JAK3.

Tasocitinib is taken twice a day.

Another JAK inhibitor, called INCB028050, is a product from the Incyte company. Incyte has partnered with Eli Lilly to manufacture and market this compound. The drug produced ACR20 responses (at least 20% reductions in symptom scores) in up to 70% of patients after 24 weeks, and ACR70 responses in nearly 30% of patients, reported Maria Greenwald, MD, of Desert Medical in Palm Desert, Calif. INCB28050 selectively blocks JAK1 and JAK2.

INCB28050 is taken once a day.

Side effects of the JAK drugs include elevations in both HDL and LDL cholesterol of up to 25%, depending on the dosage.

Other side effects that have been seen in the clinical trials with these medicines include an increase in respiratory tract infections, viral infections, including shingles, drops in white blood cell count, increases in platelet count, and slight abnormalities in both kidney and liver function.

On a more mundane note, the drug, leflunomide (Arava), may be an acceptable alternative to methotrexate for use in combination with rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who can’t take methotrexate.

Katerina Chatzidionysou, MD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, reported a study showing these findings at the American College of Rheumatology meeting.

A total of 29.1% of patients on leflunomide and rituximab had a good response at the six month mark. A number of research studies have shown that the B-cell targeting antibody drug, Rituxan, is beneficial in RA, and it has usually been given in combination with methotrexate.

But a big question for doctors has been how to deal with patients who have side effects with methotrexate.

Those of us who see a lot of rheumatoid arthritis patients find this information to be “old hat.” But patients with the disease should find some helpful nuggets here.

Alfalfa (Medicago saliva) is a folklore medicine for arthritis. The tea prepared from this plant is rich in nutrient minerals. The tea is believed to fight against arthritis. Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is an herbaceous plant, which has been utilized in the folklore medicine since antiquity in Europe. The Chinese variety (Angelica sinensis) has been widely used in China. Both the species are used in the treatment of arthritis. The root of black snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) is used in the American Indian treatment for arthritis. All the five species of genus Cimicifuga have been used worldwide to treat rheumatism. Besides other anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic elements, the herb also contains aspirin-like components. Devil’s claw (Proboscidea louisianica) consists of a good anti-inflammatory factor. Taking one gram twice a day would be effective in reducing arthritis pain.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a bushy aromatic European perennial herb, which is used against arthritis for centuries. Some of the clinical studies have proven that the anti-inflammatory action of this herb is greater than NSAIDs. Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) contains components called ginsenosides that have numerous pharmacologic activities, especially effective against arthritis. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) acts as cortisone in the body without the injurious side effects. The plant has considerable anti-inflammatory activity. However, long-term utilization of the plant can induce an elevation of the blood pressure. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. The reactions of free radical are likely involved in the degenerative arthritis. It may help to get rid of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The tea prepared from rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is used in the United States to treat arthritis. The four anti-inflammatory components of the leaves of the plant are earnosol, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is an approved remedy in the treatment of rheumatism in Germany. It is also very effective in the treatment of early-onset arthritis. The juice prepared from stinging nettle contains an anti-inflammatory agent, which is similar to steroid drugs. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has substantial anti-inflammatory activity. It has been proven very effective against certain inflammations. The use of turmeric is quite safe.

According to some herbalists, the bark of wild cucumber, in the form of tea, is described as the best source for treating arthritis and rheumatism. Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) contains a steroid constituent called diosgenin, which has anti-inflammatory features. The tea prepared from the plant is a famous folklore medicine for muscular rheumatism. Yucca (Yucca spp.) has been used for from ancient period to get rid of arthritic pain. We can list many other herbs, which are used against arthritis!