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14 Results for search "Arthritis: Rheumatoid".

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When Charlie Jannings, MD, talks about the value of exercise, you have to take him seriously. After all, the man is a kickboxer. He's also the reigning male athlete of the year at the Big Sky State Games, an Olympic-style event that attracts thousands of Montanans of all ages: He won four gold medals in his age group. All in all, you could say he's fairly fit for a 75-year-old. A specialist in bo...

Your knee feels sore and stiff when you wake up in the morning. After an hour of creaking and groaning, it finally decides to loosen up for the rest of the day. The pattern repeats itself the next day. And the next. At this point, you have two choices: Put up with the pain or get some help. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 46 million Americans have b...

Alternative remedies for arthritis are nothing new. Folklore is full of potions and poultices that supposedly relieve joint pain, and the advent of modern medicine hasn't dampened the public's interest. If anything, arthritis patients are more adventuresome than ever before. It's no surprise that so many arthritis sufferers are willing to venture beyond the bounds of mainstream medicine, says Joh...

Imagine two people with identical cases of arthritis. Even on x-rays their joints look exactly alike, and every test comes back with the same results. The only difference: One person is in agony, while the other has relatively little pain. Many people assume there's a one-to-one relationship between arthritis and pain, meaning if damage to the joints is severe, so is the pain. The truth is more c...

We ask a lot of our joints. We bend and twist all day and think nothing of it -- until arthritis sets in. More than 50 million Americans were living with arthritis or chronic joint symptoms and with a rapidly aging population, that number is expected to jump to nearly 70 million by 2030. "Arthritis" literally means joint inflammation, and can refer to any condition that causes pain and stiffness ...

Many arthritis sufferers complain of a little stiffness in the morning. Then there's Jane Kowalski,* an 83-year-old living in Baltimore. She often woke up feeling like her joints had been dipped in cement. On some mornings, she couldn't even get out of bed without help. Now Kowalski has a new way to start the day. Instead of lying there helpless, she takes the time to stretch all of her muscles b...

Most people with chronic arthritis will readily admit they have trouble with certain tasks such as climbing long flights of stairs or opening tight jar lids. But there's another challenge that often goes unmentioned. The pain, stiffness, and fatigue caused by arthritis can interfere with a person's sex life or even bring it to a halt, says Annette Owens, MD, PhD, a sex counselor and cofounder of t...

Nine people walk in a circle, obeying the commands of instructor Nancy Kieffer. "Imagine a cup of water on the crown of your head," she calls out. The directive may seem like something out of a 1950s charm school guide for perfect posture, but for this particular warm-up exercise, balance is the key element. The class is Tai Chi, and the students are practicing the ancient Chinese martial art to g...

Whether you're having total joint replacement or just a minor repair of damaged cartilage, you should learn as much as possible about the procedure before you enter the operating room. Try to find a surgeon who has extensive experience with the operation you'll be having, and be sure to ask plenty of questions. One in particular should be at the top of your list: What will this surgery actually ac...

Experts have discovered a cheap, powerful tool that can relieve pain, improve motion, and generally make life a little easier for people with arthritis. It's powerful enough to relieve many symptoms of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, yet safe enough to use every other day. It's convenient and inexpensive, and when used properly, causes no unpleasant side effects. It's called a barbel...

What is rheumatoid arthritis? On the surface, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) looks like a close relative of osteoarthritis, a condition all too familiar to many older people. Both conditions make joints stiff and sore, but that's where the similarity ends. Its cause and its destructiveness put rheumatoid arthritis in a class by itself. What's the difference? Unlike osteoarthritis -- a condition brou...

Questions Patients May Want to Ask Their Doctors about Arthritis 1. What is the difference between arthritis and rheumatic disease? 2. Are there several types of arthritis? 3. Does it affect all joints in the body? 4. Does it only affect older people? 5. What can I take for pain relief? 6. Will I have to take this pain medication for life? 7. How is arthritis diagnosed? 8. What kinds of tests will...

For many years, veterinarians routinely gave glucosamine to racehorses to help preserve their joints over years of pounding the track. Now scientists are studying whether glucosamine, a compound that your body uses to make cartilage, can help people as well. For 40 years, European researchers have been studying whether taking glucosamine in supplement form can help relieve arthritis pain and rebui...

There's no shortage of medications that can offer relief to people with arthritis. But with so many options to choose from, it's important that you get the right medication for your particular situation. Each drug has potential drawbacks to go along with the benefits. No matter what medication your doctor recommends, make sure you understand the risks and follow the instructions exactly. Differen...