Arthritis News and Treatment
Early treatment ‘best way to get arthritis under control’
Early treatment is the best way to get rheumatoid arthritis under control, it has been claimed.
According to Arthritis Research UK, aggressive early treatment is the best way to get the condition under control before any serious damage to the joints is sustained, however, many people don’t get diagnosed in time for early treatment to start.
The charity’s Jane Tadman said: “Unfortunately, in the real world, the average length of time that people with rheumatoid arthritis wait before going to their GP after developing symptoms is 12 weeks – and then there is a further wait before they are referred to see a specialist and start treatment.”
She added that more needs to be done to inform people about the symptoms of arthritis so they can get quick access to the help they need.
Ms Tadman’s comments follow research from the Netherlands which shows that patients who are diagnosed early with rheumatoid arthritis are less likely to experience joint damage.
Arthritis: New Treatment Rebuilds Damaged Cartilage
Secret Process Sparks Hope For Joint Pain Sufferers.
Breakthrough joint supplement has demonstrated re-growth in damaged cartilage.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and it is not confined to the older generations, as many believe. Young people can also develop OA, often as a result of a sports injury or excessive exercise leading to wear and tear on joints.
OA is also surprisingly common among athletes, hardcore training regimes, pressure from peers and the drive to be the best can lead athletes to push themselves too hard and suffer the consequences of joint damage. In the UK alone there are 27,000 people under the age of 25 suffering from arthritis1. A subtle ache, a little pain after exercise or physical work – these could be the warning signs of things to come.
There is no known cure for osteoarthritis, however an innovative natural supplement has emerged as the only product with clinical evidence to indicate it can halt and even rebuild damaged cartilage, potentially improving the lives of millions of OA sufferers and getting injured athletes on the road to recovery much quicker.
Clinical trials have demonstrated that Flexeze Fortify, containing a secret formulation of Collagen Hydrolysate (Fortigel), actually appears to re-grow cartilage, relieving pain and greatly improving mobility.
Dr Andrew Carson, a GP who is Associate Dean, GP Education, Birmingham and Solihull and Medical Advisor to the NHS Executive in the West Midlands said;
“I am not aware of any other product that has been shown to regenerate articular cartilage. The best that other products have achieved in the past is a reduction in the speed of disease progression and a subjective improvement in pain sensation. I would recommend anyone taking glucosamine and Chondroitin to consider this option, which is a natural product with no known side effects.”
Many people don’t realise the importance of looking after your joints and just accept joint pain and stiffness as a part of the aging process. All types of exercise can put pressure on joints, from everyday walking to training for a triathlon. It is therefore essential to take care to protect them, and it’s never too early to start.
Whilst exercise is essential for strong healthy joints, sports injuries can leave you more prone to joint pain and osteoarthritis. There are a few tips to consider that can decease your likelihood of having an injury; never exercise when tired, keep yourself hydrated, always warm-up and down and never push yourself through joint pain, wear supportive shoes and exercise on forgiving surfaces.
Certain activities put your joints under more stress, for example running on concrete, varying these activates with other sports such as swimming, yoga or cycling will build the strength of your joints without putting them under unnecessary pressure.
Professor Alan Silman, medical director at Arthritis Research UK explains:
Despite the overriding benefits of participating in sport and exercise, there are hidden hazards related to sports injury. From the limited research carried out, we know some sport-related injuries will cause osteoarthritis, which is a painful and debilitating condition. 2
It is therefore essential to take preventative action to protect your joints from wear and tear, and keep them strong to prevent injuries. There are many supplements that can aid joint health, however up until now there have been none to actually support the regeneration of cartilage.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin, both popular supplements for sufferers of joint pain and Osteoarthritis, have recently received a lot of criticism. Sales of the two supplements have reached an estimated one billion dollars in just the USA3, despite little scientific evidence to prove they do any more than a placebo.
A study by world expert Professor Juni, from Berne University, Switzerland and published in the British Medical Journal into the effects of Glucosamine and Chondroitin came to the following conclusions;
“Compared with placebo, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space. Health authorities and health insurers should not cover the costs of these preparations, and new prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged.” 4
In comparison Flexeze Fortify, a natural supplement taken once a day, has clinical evidence to suggest that it reduces the deterioration of cartilage, and actually helps to rebuild damaged cartilage. It contains the award-winning ingredient Fortigel, made up of the patented Collagen Hydrolysate – a specially processed form of collagen claimed to be more bioavailable – that is absorbed by our body more easily, than unprocessed collagen.
Clinical trials undertaken in America by Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical Centre in Boston have shown that where other supplements may simply slow down the deterioration of cartilage, Flexeze Fortify appears to not only stop the deterioration but also reverses the process. When tested on 30 patients, all suffering with arthritis, 15 were given Flexeze Fortify and 15 were given a placebo. The results of the year-long trial demonstrated that patients taking Flexeze Fortify had experienced cartilage re-growth, decreased joint pain and improved mobility. In comparison the patients taking the placebo saw continued deterioration in their cartilage.
Osteoarthritis Treatment
According to a new study announced recently at the yearly meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, people who are susceptible to developing osteoarthritis may postpone its development or possibly arrest the development by becoming more physically active.
“According to the results of our study, participating in a high-impact activity, such as running, more than one hour per day at least three times a week appears associated with more degenerated cartilage and potentially a higher risk for development of osteoarthritis,” said the study’s senior author Thomas M. Link, M.D., professor of radiology and chief of musculoskeletal imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “On the other hand, engaging in light exercise and refraining from frequent knee-bending activities may protect against the onset of the disease.”
Osteoarthritis is a worsening disease of the joints causing severe pain and deficient mobility. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases state that it is the most prevalent type of arthritis affecting in excess of 27 million people in the U.S. over 25 years of age.
Researchers examined 132 subjects showing no sign of the disease but at risk for developing osteoarthritis, as well as 33 control subjects. There were 99 female and 66 male study participants between 45 and 55 years of age. The group consisted of 3 sub-groups divided up according to their answers to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly or PASE test. Degrees of exercise for each group were labelled sedentary, light, and moderate to strenuous exercise.
MRI tests showed that the light exercise group participants enjoyed the healthiest knee cartilage and those with little strength exercise had healthier cartilage overall than those with no strength exercise and those with frequent strength exercise.
“The results for this group indicate that moderate to strenuous exercise may accelerate cartilage degeneration, putting these women at even greater risk of developing osteoarthritis,” said study coauthor Keegan K. Hovis, B.S., R.N., research associate in the Department of Radiology at UCSF.
“People can reduce their risk for osteoarthritis by maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding risky activities and strenuous exercise,” he said. “Lower-impact sports, such as walking, swimming or using an elliptical trainer are likely more beneficial than high-impact sports, such as running or tennis.”
“Our findings indicate that light exercise, particularly frequent walking, is a safer choice in maintaining healthy cartilage,” Hovis added.