Arthritis is very common but is not well understood. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability. Statistics show that more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis in the US. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.
Diagnosing Arthritis
Arthritis diagnosis often begins with a primary care physician, who performs a physical exam and may do blood tests and imaging scans to help determine the type of arthritis.
It is important also thorough complete Microbiological tests
What Can Be Done About Arthritis?
There are many things that can be done to preserve joint function, mobility and quality of life. Learning about the disease and treatment options, making time for physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are essential. Arthritis is a commonly misunderstood disease.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. When the cartilage – the slick, cushioning surface on the ends of bones – wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Over time, joints can lose strength and pain may become chronic. Risk factors include excess weight, family history, age and previous injury (an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear, for example).
When the joint symptoms of osteoarthritis are mild or moderate, they can be managed by:
- balancing activity with rest
- using hot and cold therapies
- regular physical activity
- maintaining a healthy weight
- strengthening the muscles around the joint for added support
- using assistive devices such as Quantum Biofeedback
- taking natural anti-inflmmatory supplements to alleviate the pain
- avoiding excessive repetitive movements
If joint symptoms are severe, causing limited mobility and affecting quality of life, some of the above management strategies may be helpful
Because everyone has a unique Biochemical Individuality it is important to do a Quantum Biofeedback session to alleviate the stress, manage the stress and reduce the stress of your joints and inflammation, do brain wave training, pain management and muscle re- education
Osteoarthritis can prevented by staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding injury and repetitive movements.
Inflammatory Arthritis
A healthy immune system is protective. It generates internal inflammation to get rid of infection and prevent disease. But the immune system can go awry, mistakenly attacking the joints with uncontrolled inflammation, potentially causing joint erosion and may damage internal organs, eyes and other parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are examples of inflammatory arthritis. Researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environmental factors can trigger autoimmunity. Smoking is an example of an environmental risk factor that can trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people with certain genes.
With autoimmune and inflammatory types of arthritis, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is critical. Slowing disease activity can help minimize or even prevent permanent joint damage. Remission is the goal. The goal of treatment with Quantum biofeedback SCIO/INDIGO/EDUCTOR is to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further joint damage.
Infectious Arthritis
A bacterium, virus or fungus can enter the joint and trigger inflammation. Examples of organisms that can infect joints are salmonella and shigella (food poisoning or contamination), chlamydia and gonorrhea (sexually transmitted diseases) and hepatitis C (a blood-to-blood infection, often through shared needles or transfusions). With Quantum Biofeedback SCIO/INDIGO/EDUCTOR you can detect the cause and with certain zap functions you can alleviate the condition
Metabolic Arthritis
Uric acid is formed as the body breaks down purines, a substance found in human cells and in many foods. Some people have high levels of uric acid because they naturally produce more than is needed or the body can’t get rid of the uric acid quickly enough. In some people the uric acid builds up and forms needle-like crystals in the joint, resulting in sudden spikes of extreme joint pain, or a gout attack. Gout can come and go in episodes or, if uric acid levels aren’t reduced, it can become chronic, causing ongoing pain and disability.
Impact of arthritis
Arthritis has a significant impact on individuals, for example:
- Almost 43.2% (22.7 million) of adults with arthritis report limitations in their usual activities
- 40% report that it is "very difficult" or they "cannot do" at least 1 of 9 important daily functional activities
- Almost 8 million adults who report an activity limitation due to arthritis also report severe limitation in their ability to stoop, bend, or kneel, and 6 million cannot walk 0.25 miles
- 31% (8.3 million) of working age adults with arthritis report limitations in work.
Impairment in the ability of people with arthritis to perform essential daily tasks may interfere with their work, their sense of purpose in their community, or the care they can provide for their family.
Emotional health
Arthritis has a strong association with major depression. This is thought to be most likely caused by the limitations arthritis can place on function and enjoyment of life. Around 6.6% of adults with arthritis report severe psychological distress
BMI
The prevalence of arthritis increases with body mass index (BMI): almost 16% of adults who are under/normal weight have arthritis; almost 23% of overweight adults have arthritis; and almost 31% of obese adults have arthritis.5
Arthritis can place limitations on everyday activities. Having a higher BMI is associated with an increase in activity limitations related to arthritis, with such limits reported by:2
- 38.2% of people who are under/normal weight
- 37.2% of people who are overweight
- 44.8% of people who are obese.
Arthritis and exercise
Physical activity and exercise have been shown to benefit people with arthritis by improving pain, function and mental health. However, around 24% of adults with arthritis report being physically inactive compared with 18.6% of adults without arthritis.2
By partaking in low levels of exercise, individuals with arthritis face placing themselves at risk of conditions associated with lack of activity such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and functional limitations.
Modifiable arthritis risk factors:
- Overweight and obesity: excess weight can contribute to both the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis
- Joint injuries: damage to a joint can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis in that joint
- Infection: many microbial agents can infect joints and trigger the development of various forms of arthritis
- Occupation: certain occupations that involve repetitive knee bending and squatting are associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Risk factors for other chronic conditions are common among US adults with arthritis, such as:
- High blood pressure - 53%
- Physical inactivity - 47%
- High cholesterol - 47%
- Obesity - 36%
- Smoking - 19%.
More than half (53%) of US adult with arthritis report high blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with heart disease - the most common comorbidity among adults with arthritis.
Approximately 1 in 5 (19%) of US adults with arthritis are smokers. Smoking is associated with chronic respiratory conditions - the second most common comorbidity among adults with arthritis.
Smoking also adversely affects the synthesis of collagen, the key protein making up connective tissue and the scaffolding of bone, as well as increasing oxidative damage and decreasing circulation and the supply of nutrients to the joint tissues and bone. As such, smoking is detrimental to the health of joints and bone and contributes to arthritis development and progression.
What causes arthritis?
There is no single cause of all types of arthritis; the cause or causes in any given case vary according to the type or form of arthritis. Potential causes for arthritis may include:
Potential causes for arthritis may include:
- Injury - leading to degenerative arthritis
- Abnormal metabolism - leading to gout and pseudogout
- Inheritance - such as in osteoarthritis
- Infections - such as in the arthritis of Lyme disease
- Immune system dysfunction
Diet and nutrition can play a role in managing arthritis and the risk of arthritis, although specific foods, hyperreactive food are not known to cause arthritis. Foods that increase inflammation, particularly animal-derived foods and diets high in refined sugar, can exacerbate arthritis. Similarly, eating foods that provoke an immune system response can exacerbate arthritis symptoms.
Gout is one type of arthritis that is closely linked to diet as it is caused by elevated levels of uric acid which can be a result of a diet high in purines. As such, diets that contain high-purine foods, such as seafood, red wine and meats can trigger a gout flare-up. Vegetables and other plant foods that contain high levels of purines do not appear to exacerbate gout symptoms.
Septic arthritis
There are an estimated 20,000 cases of septic arthritis in the US per year.37 The incidence of septic arthritis is around 2-10 cases per 100,000 in the general population and as high as 30-70 cases per 100,000 in patients with RA.
Septic arthritis is joint inflammation due to a bacterial or fungal infection. If the septic arthritis is due to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, it is described as gonococcal arthritis.23 The incidence of arthritis due to gonococcal infection is 2.8 cases per 100,000 person-years.
Joints commonly affected with septic arthritis include the knee and hip. Septic arthritis develops either when bacteria or other tiny disease-causing organisms (microorganisms) spread through the blood to a joint or when the joint is directly infected with a microorganism through injury or surgery.
Bacteria such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus cause most cases of acute septic arthritis. Organisms such asMycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans cause chronic septic arthritis - which is less common than acute septic arthritis.
Signs and symptoms of arthritis
Just as the causes of different types of arthritis can vary widely, the pattern and location of symptoms of arthritis can also vary depending on the type.
Warning signs of arthritis include pain, swelling, stiffness and difficulty moving a joint.
Arthritis symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly, and as arthritis is most often a chronic disease, symptoms may come and go, or persist over time.
There are four key warning signs of arthritis that should prompt a discussion with a health care provider. These include:28
- Pain from arthritis can be constant, or it may come and go. Pain might be isolated to one place or felt in many parts of the body
- Some types of arthritis cause the skin over the affected joint to become red and swollen, and to feel warm to the touch
- Stiffness is a typical arthritis symptom, with some forms of arthritis causing increased stiffness upon waking up in the morning, after sitting at a desk, or after sitting in a car for a long time, and others resulting in stiffness after exercise or characterized by persistent stiffness
- Moving a joint or getting up from a chair should not be hard or painful and can indicate arthritis or other joint problem.
If you have any of these conditions make sure to get a diagnosis from you doctor, do microbiological exams and then treatment with Quantum Biofeedback with SCIO/INDIGO/EDUCTOR to alleviate your symptoms without medication and surgery the most advaced in Computerized Quantum Integrative Medicine!!!
Dr. Violetta Anninou, Ph.D.
curriculum vitae
Diplomate and Board Certified Quantum Academies, Beverly Hills, California, USA.
Mentoring Worldwide
Molecular Biologist with HONORS, University of Delaware, U.S.A.
Holds two doctorates:
1. Holistic Nutrition, Highest Honors, U.S.A.
2. MEDICAL BOARD CERTIFIED BIOFEEDBACK DOCTORATE IMUNE (THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF NATURE MEDICINE)
Post Graduate Studies in Neuro-Anatomy, in Neuroelectro-Physiology and Neurology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Awarded for her research in Molecular Biology from Dupont, Delaware, U.S.A. (Dupont Medical Research)
Candidate Ph.D. in Quantum Integrative Medicine, U.S.A.
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