ARTHRITIS is an inflammation of the joints surrounding tendons, ligaments and cartilage. It is among the oldest afflictions of human beings, and can affect actually every part of the body, from the feet to the knees, to the back, shoulder, and fingers.The effects of Arthritis range from slight pain, stiffness and swelling of the joints to crippling and disability. And it is important to note that Arthritis affects people of all ages.

Types of Arthritis
There is variety of arthritis conditions, with the three most common forms of the disease being osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and gout.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the large weight bearings joints. It is often associated with old age, in which small bong growth, calcium spurs and occasional soft cysts appear on bones and in the joints. As the disease progresses, the joint cartilage deteriorates, and this finally interferes with movement.
The symptoms of Arthritis include mild early morning stiffness; stiffness following a period of rest; pain that worsens on joint use; loss of joint function; local tenderness, and soft tissue swelling; creaking and cracking of joints on movement; bony swelling and restricted mobility.

Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, while less common than Osteoarthritis, is a serious and very painful joint disease, often resulting in crippling disabilities for young and old alike. It is a very painful joints’ disease, often resulting in crippling disabilities for young and old alike. It incapacitates the synovial tissue, which is the membrane that lines the joints and secretes the lubricant which normally allows bones to move painlessly against other bones.
With the condition, joints – most commonly the small joints of the hand — become tender, swollen, and even deformed; night sweats, depression, and lethargy are among the other symptoms. Over time, the condition can also spread to the other parts of the body.

Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by a buildup in the body of uric acid, found in meats and other foods, and also produced by the body. When this production is out of balance, or there is inadequate elimination of uric acid, gout occurs.
When the level of uric acid rises to an unhealthy level in the body, it crystallizes in the joints, cartilage and synovial tissues and fluid, causing sharp, needle-like pain on the joints, as well as fever, chills, and loss of mobility.
Some of the health problems caused by gout include constipation, indigestion, headaches, depression. Sufferers from gout also run a much higher risk of heart and kidney problems.

Treatment and prevention
The primary keys for treating and preventing arthritis are proper diet, nutritional detoxification, and stress reduction. Pain management and correction of skeletal/postural problems can also be addressed through a variety of other modalities, including herbal medicine, chiropractic, body massage and Ayurvedic healing.(The author is a qualified massage therapist, and can be reached @ 649-4227)

(By Sally Habeeb)