Health And Fitness News 

Arthritis Treatments

Science doesn't have a cure for arthritis yet, but there are many types of treatments available that can help relieve the pain and keep you active.

The exact type of treatment available depends on the particular details of your specific situation, including the joints affected, the extent of the damage, the severity of your pain and how the condition affects your daily activities.  Your physical care practitioner also takes into consideration, when treating you, your age and your occupation.

Ultimately, treatment attempts to focus on eliminating the underlying cause of your arthritis.  But, keep in mind, that the chances are great that the cause of your arthritis is not curable.  Therefore, your personal care practitioner will try to alleviate the symptoms as much as possible.  He'll try to maximize your comfort, minimize your pain, and prevent any disability or further damage.

Your personal care practitioner will try to alleviate your symptoms through a variety of medications starting with acetaminophen – commonly sold as Tylenol.  More than likely, he'll instruct you to take a maximum of  four grams of acetaminophen daily.  That equals two extra-strength Tylenol tablets every six hours. 

If you are using this method, be sure that you don't exceed this dosage.  And  don't drink alcohol in any excess.  Doing either of these – or both – may cause damage to your liver.

Not every treatment recommended by your health care practitioner needs to be prescription strength.  And this recommended approach is one of those. This initial treatment option can be very effective.  It can provide significant relief of the pain associated with arthritis without subjecting you to the adverse side effects of prescription drugs.

Another option that doesn't include prescription drugs involves a class of over-the-counter pain relievers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, better known as NSAID's.  These, too, are more effective than many people realize.  But they also come with a price, especially if you use these for an extended period of time.  These include ibuprophen (which you may know better as Advil or Motrin), aspirin and naproxen, sold under the brand name of Aleve.

First, keep in mind that you should not take these in any large amount without consulting with your health care practitioner.  Long-term use, in large amounts, can have very serious consequences, including increased risks of hart attacks, strokes and stomach ulcers.  Extended use of these over-the-counter drugs may also cause bleeding in the digestive tract as well as kidney damage.

If these non-prescription drugs do not relieve your symptoms sufficiently, then your health care practitioner may prescribe Cox2 inhibitors.   These medications work by blocking the inflammation promoting enzyme called a Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2).  These drugs were initially hailed as an improvement over the NSAID's.  They perform the same duties, but with supposedly less risk of potential stomach problems.

In recent years, though, this class of drugs has been in the news for its potentially deadly side effects.  Marketed under such names as Vioxx and Bextra, arthritis patients soon discovered an increased risk of heart attacks.  Indeed, several deaths were supposedly attributed to these medications.  These two, in particular, were removed from the market.

However, Celcoxib, sold under the brand name Celebrex, is still available to those with arthritic pain.  But most professionals recommend that it be prescribed for only the shortest amount of time with the least possible dosage.  Only you and your health care practitioner can determine whether this is the proper treatment for your particular case of arthritis.

Another weapon in the arsenal against arthritis symptoms your health care practitioner may pull out is classified as a "steroid".  This class of drug is more formally called corticosteroids, which work by suppressing the immune system.  By doing so, it effectively alleviates the inflammation.  This can be administered either orally or through injection.  While it's an option in most forms of arthritis, it should not be used in cases of infectious arthritis.  Moreover, steroids, too, are not without their side effects.  These include upset stomach, gastrointestinal bleeding, high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, as well as cataracts.  The risks are far greater the longer you're taking them or with the higher dosages.

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