Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease is a wear and tear disease of the joints typically seen in the older adult (usually over 60 years of age). Cartilage within the joints breaks down causing pain as the bones rub against each other. Osteoarthritis is commonly found in the knees, hips, hands, spine, and feet.

Obesity is a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis in the knees and hips. These weight bearing joints carry much of the weight causing increased wear and tear. Weight loss can significantly reduce the chance of developing osteoarthritis and can alleviate pain in people who currently have osteoarthritis.

Currently osteoarthritis treatment is limited because no medications are capable of preventing or retarding the disease process. Osteoarthritis treatment involves focusing on pain relief, the maintenance of quality of life, and functional independence. Let us take a look at some of the treatments that currently exist for osteoarthritis.

Many doctors recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) as the initial analgesic (pain medication) of choice for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Acetaminophen has very few side effects. When using acetaminophen as a pain reliever, remember to follow the directions correctly. Acetaminophen is commonly overused by patients. You are recommended to not exceed 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in a twenty-four hour period. Acetaminophen is metabolized or processed by the liver. Excess acetaminophen can cause damage to the liver. Acetaminophen is also found in other pain medications such as Darvocet, Percocet, and Tylenol Cold. In fact, acetaminophen is found in quite a few prescription pain medications.

Traditionally NSAID’s (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have been useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis associated pain. One major concern with the use of NSAID’s is irritation to the stomach lining. In more severe cases, gastrointestinal bleeds or ulcers may form. NSAID’s can affect the body’s blood clotting ability and interfere with kidney function. NSAID’s should always be taken with food to decrease stomach irritation or upset. Do not drink alcohol while taking NSAID’s. However, these drugs should not be taken for extended periods of time unless directed otherwise by a qualified medical provider. Some common types of NSAID’s are ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2 inhibitors) are a class of NSAID’s. COX-2 inhibitors suppress arthritis pain much the same way but with less stomach irritation. Many of us know of COX-2 inhibitors but not by this name. Vioxx (refecoxib), Celebrex (celecoxib), and Bextra (valdecoxib) are COX-2 inhibitors. Vioxx and Bextra have been removed from the market. These drugs can significantly increase the risk for stroke and heart attack. Celebrex remains on the market but does have a black box warning stipulating this drug also can increase the risk for cardiovascular events and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Capsaicin (Capsagel, Zostrix) which is derived from chili peppers can be applied topically for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. Capsaicin will cause vasodilation, itching, and burning to the skin but after repeated applications desensitization will occur, decreasing one’s pain. Methyl salicylate creams such as Ben-gay can also be used for osteoarthritis pain. Studies have shown that oral glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have a mild to moderate analgesic effect with arthritis.

For osteoarthritis patients who cannot tolerate their pain, glucocorticoid injections may be done. Glucocorticoids are similar to the hormone cortisol in the body. Glucocorticoids help alleviate pain by decreasing inflammation and swelling within the joint. Side effects are typically seen if you receive these injections too frequently.

Hyaluronan (viscosupplementation) injections can be injected directly into the joint for treatment of osteoarthritis. This medication helps supplement the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid is a lubricating fluid allowing the bones to move smoothly within the joint. This injection should relieve pain and improve your mobility of the joint. This treatment involves 3-5 shots within 5 weeks. You may experience pain and swelling after the injections but this should dissipate. Reduced osteoarthritis pain may last up to 6 months.

For patients that have decreased function and mobility of the joint, surgical intervention may be necessary. Surgical involvement should also be considered in patients whose pain has progressed to unacceptable levels. However, good surgical candidates are usually considered ideal for surgery. Certain health conditions can affect post-operative rehabilitation and healing. Surgery can hold just as much of a health risk as medications have side effects.

Osteoarthritis is not curable but there is hope for the future with advancements in medicine. Along with the above treatments for pain management, it is also important to remain active and healthy. Exercising regularly can help maintain mobility of the joint. Exercise also creates natural pain relievers such as endorphins. Pain may be a part of osteoarthritis, but pain doesn’t have to be a part of your life!

Copyright 2006 Kristy Haugen

Kristy Haugen is a mother working to finish her second bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering. She is also a Licensed Practical Nurse with a current bachelor degree in Biology and Chemistry. She writes to inform consumers about nutrition and health topics. Learn more about weight loss supplements at http://weightlosssupplements.vitaminmaniac.com. Learn more about vitamins and your health at http://blog.vitaminmaniac.com.

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Yes .. YOU can play a very important role against HIV and AIDS

AIDS is the most pressing problems faced globally. We can prevent the spread by a very simple process of communication. Communicating to spread awareness. By just educating only one neighbor or friend per week, we can cover a very huge population is a very short span of time.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. As the name suggests, AIDS is a syndrome i.e. a combination of many diseases due to failure of the Human Immunity System.

I just want to share a few basic facts, which need to be understood by us first and then need to be shared with others.

What is AIDS ?
AIDS stands for “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”. A virus called HIV causes it. It is the late stage of infection with HIV, which damages and ultimately destroys the immune system.

What is HIV ?
HIV stands for Human Immune Deficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS.

What is the difference between being HIV-positive and having AIDS ?
Being HIV-positive, means being infected with the virus. It is within the body and is slowly destroying the immune system. However, when the immune system becomes very weak and the body starts developing a number of infections, it is called AIDS. From the time the person has been infected with the virus, it may take anywhere from 5 to 10 years for AIDS to develop.

Is there any way HIV can create itself ?
HIV cannot create itself under any circumstances. The virus has to be present in a person’s body and then passed on to someone else. HIV does not develop in a person’s body on its own accord. It is found only in ‘human beings’ and can only be ‘acquired’ from another infected human being.

How is HIV transmitted ?
HIV is transmitted in the following ways :
- By unprotected sexual intercourse with a person who is already infected with HIV. This is the most common way of getting HIV.
- By the transfusion of infected blood and blood products.
- By sharing needles contaminated with HIV infected blood.
- By a HIV positive pregnant women to the new born baby. Before, during or just after delivery (through breast feeding ).
HIV cannot enter the human body in any other way.

How does one protect oneself from infection ?
“Prevention is always better than cure”. The only way to protect from this disease is by not sharing needles, not coming in contact with infected blood and having protected sexual intercourse.

Now if we understand these basic 6 questions and spread this information, we will be saving not just one person but the entire family the entire generation.

I am the webmaster of aids.rafique.info
Here i have listed the most common FAQs related to HIV and AIDS

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We get old and sick due to excess acid in our body. So, it follows if we reduce the acid and increase the alkaline levels we would be healthier and live longer. However, some doctors say that the stomach acid kills the alkalinity so; drinking alkaline water will do no good. Well what about that?

What happens in the stomach when we drink high pH alkaline water? The stomach maintains the pH level at right around 4.0. The more alkaline water we drink the higher the stomach pH goes, sometimes it will rise above 4.5. When this happens the stomach will produce more hydrochloric acid to bring the stomach pH back down to below 4.0.

Hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate is made from water, sodium chloride (table salt) and carbon dioxide. The sodium bicarbonate goes into the bloodstream and the hydrochloric acid goes into the stomach.

The alkaline buffer in our blood is sodium bicarbonate, and it is the alkaline and acid buffers that are constantly monitoring the blood pH to maintain a constant blood pH of 7.365. When the blood becomes too alkaline, the acid buffer goes to work to bring the pH down; and when there is too much alkaline, then the alkaline buffer (sodium bicarbonate) goes to work to raise the pH level.

From Sang Whang, inventor of Alkalife:

“Alkaline buffers are bicarbonate (HCO3-) mated with alkaline minerals. Examples of them are sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3), calcium bicarbonate (Ca(HCO3)2) and magnesium bicarbonate (Mg(HCO3)2). Acid buffer is mainly carbonic acid (H2CO3), a water and carbon dioxide combination. Carbohydrate completely burnt becomes carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O); therefore there is no shortage of acid buffer.”

It was Lynda Frassetto, University of California, San Francisco, who discovered in 1966 that we lose the alkaline buffer - bicarbonates in our blood as we age. The process seems to begin at age 45 and by 90 we have lost 18% of the bicarbonates in our blood.

When the bicarbonates in our blood are reduced it impairs the body’s ability to neutralize and dump the acid our body produces. It is also at the age of around 45 that symptoms of diabetes, or osteoporosis and other diseases related to the aging process occur. When these acidic wastes are not released from the body and begin to build up, theses wastes take the form of fatty acid, sulfate, phosphate, uric acid, cholesterol, kidney stones, etc.

It is only the water’s pH value that helps the blood receive bicarbonates. It is the most important function of alkaline water since we lose these bicarbonates as we age. When we alkalize our body we increase the ability of our blood to neutralize the acid.

Our world has changed from an organic, agricultural base to one that is industrial and toxic. And because of the greed of our industries a lot of these toxins have found their way into our air, water, food, and alas our bodies. The more pollution, the more stress the more acid. High protein diets and soft drinks also add to the acidity and this is why we lose bicarbonates in the blood as we age.

This is taken from Sang Wang, “The medical society considers the reduction of bicarbonates in the blood as an inevitable fact of aging. I argue that the reduction of bicarbonates in the blood is the cause of aging and diseases, not the result of aging. As long as we can replenish bicarbonates in the blood, we don’t have to age!”

Now Enter Alkaline Water

To Drink or Not to Drink

Only when the stomach produces hydrochloric acid do bicarbonates enter the bloodstream. So it is best to drink the alkaline water on an empty stomach with the water having a pH level of 9.5 -10. The reason for this is the alkaline will raise the stomach pH relatively high and that will cause the stomach to produce more hydrochloric acid, allowing for more bicarbonates to enter the blood. (I carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go and my bottle of Alkalife and just drink it all day long.) You can get the Alkalife from www.drclarkuniversity.org Click on books and products and then click on the University book store and then the link on the left “Alkalife”

So, now you know how alkaline water will prevent the onset of adult degenerative diseases and aging in general.

Michele Michaels has been active in raising awareness for alternative and natural methods of curing and treating all manner of illnesses.

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