What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is not a single disease, it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease.
Types of Arthritis:
The most common type of arthritis, involves wear-and-tear damage to your joint's cartilage — the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones. Enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. This wear and tear can occur over many years, or it can speeden up by a joint injury or infection.
In Rheumatoid Arthritis, the body's immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule, a layer that encloses all the joint parts. This lining, becomes inflamed and swollen. The disease process can eventually destroy cartilage and bone within the joint.
- Injury (leading to osteoarthritis),
- Hereditary factors,
- Any direct and indirect effect of infections (bacterial and viral),
- An auto-immune disorder (Process where body's fighter cells, treat body's own cells as threat)
- Decreased range of motion
- Loss of energy
- Lack of appetite
- Low grade fever
- Chest pain while breathing in
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Burning and itching of the eye; and discharge from the eye
- Nodules beneath the skin
- Numbness, tingling or burning in the hands and feet
- Sleep disturbances
Turmeric - Due to it's anti-inflammatory properties turmeric comes as a boon to rheumatoid arthritis.
- Mix 1 tea spoon of turmeric is a glass of warm milk and drink it at night before going to bed. Make sure this is done on alternate days, as daily consumption might sometimes generate side effects like heat.
- Drinking fresh turmeric juice is the most effective than in any other form
- Consuming 500-1000 mg of turmeric capsule thrice per day is also an option.
Epsom salt - Due to high amounts of magnesium Epsom salt is used as a pain reliever.
- Add 1 cup of Epsom salt in a big bowl of water and soak the area of the body which is sored due to pain.
- Alternatively, you can take bath using this water if the area of pain is not convenient enough to soak.
Cinnamon - It is enriched with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, thus acts as a pain reliever
- 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon mixed in 1 tsp of honey should be added to one glass of warm water. Drink this every morning with an empty stomach.
Extra virgin olive oil - Lubrication is an important aspect to be taken care of when arthritis is diagnosed. Extra virgin olive oil acts as an excellent lubricant.
- 2-3 tablespoon of oil can be massaged on the sore joints 2-3 times a day. Make sure the pressure applied during massage is gentle.