Arthritis can't stop 12-year-old Russell's fight

Image Source: winnipegfreepress.com

Russell Listmayer suffers from uveitis- a type of arthritis in eyes that affects vision and causes extreme inflammation. 20 per cent of all cases of blindness are caused due to Uveitis.

Every day Russell eyes have some changes. He is recently been said to go for 11 surgery which would require nerve implants. His vision has been permanently affected. He had detached retinas and cataracts. During the past seven years he has glaucoma from the immunosuppressive chemotherapy.

He is losing the nerves in his eyes from pressure and side-effects of medication. As he has to takes five times five different types of eye drops per day.

Brandeis Orr-Smallwood and Phil Listmayer parent of Russell said that when he was only 5 we began to suspect something was wrong. His eyes were sore all the time and his head would sweat profusely. Thus we took him to a specialist and finally his proper diagnosis was made and treatment began.

Orr-Smallwood say-"He's our warrior. That's what we call him. He's facing his 11th surgery and he's handling it with a lot of courage. He's been dealing with this since he was five years old. He never complains and he never stops fighting. I'm pretty proud of him."

He is also the Youth Ambassador for the 2014 Walk to Fight Arthritis. He is top fundraiser for Winnipeg's Walk to Fight Arthritis for a second straight year.

As he was picked for this walk he said-"I was happy they picked me because I get to tell my story to everyone in the world and let them know that people at the age of three can have arthritis, it's not just old people and it's a lot more serious than many people think."

Russell is not afraid or unhappy with his disease but says that-"I get a lot of people who don't know that you can get it in your eyes. But they believe me, once I tell them a bit of what I've been through.I get to tell my story to everyone in the world and let them know that people at the age of three can have arthritis, it's not just old people and it's a lot more serious than many people think... '

He says that he feel strong but the hardest part about living with arthritis is when your mom cries for you and you don't know what to tell her.

Russell an inspiring child for other!!!

Targeted Plexxikon Drug Helps Ease Joint Pain

Image: Daiichi Sankyo Logo
Source: Google Serach

Plexxikon, a unit of Daiichi Sankyo, has developed experimental cancer drug that can also help to ease pain and swelling in various joint disease that are caused by genetic mutation.
This finding and revelation of the genetic underpinnings of cancer has much more lead to mutations related problem treatment.

Recurrent pigmented villonodular synovitis, or PVNS is a disease that is caused by a glitch causes cells to overproduce stimulating factor 1. This cell destroys the soft normal tissue of joints. Thus the new drug Plexxikon's drug, PLX3397 acts against PVNS by blocking its abnormality.

This drug was tested by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York on 600 600 people in the United States.

This drug is proving good because joint pain it is somewhat same but  does not spread to other parts of the body.

The result declared by evaluating 11 out 14 patients result. The results were good and they response to the drug, along with that tumor shrank at least by half, and 3 patients had stable disease. On average, 61% tumors shrank.

Dr William Tap of Memorial Sloan-Kettering, who led the study said –“These results are a shining example of how patients can experience a meaningful clinical benefit when we are able to match the right treatment with the right target.”

Dr Clifford Hudis, president of American Society of Clinical Oncology, also aparies this study and said that-“at future treatments that will become possible as a result of efforts to better match patients”

Thus a final study will be presented at the ASCO meeting in Chicago starting on May 30 and will end on June 3.

Is it true that Women's Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk could be cut by Beer?

Yes, a new study suggested that having a beer a few times a week might help women to avoid rheumatoid arthritis pain.  Why and how just read it out to know!!!

According to the Arthritis Foundation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistic that about 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis. To this ratio women get RA 2.5 times more often than men do. The onset of RA in women is between the ages of 30 to 60 year.

Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston concluded that-" long-term, moderate alcohol drinking may reduce future rheumatoid arthritis development in women" in his research.

In this study, the risk of RA is reduced by 21 percent if you have few alcoholic drinks during the week, and this ratio goes to 31% if women drink moderately for example two to four beers per week.

This research is published in Arthritis & Rheumatology issue.

What they did to conclude this??

Dr. Bing Lu and his researchers tracked the drinking habits of women in two large studies-

1. The Nurses' Health Study.
2. The Nurses' Health Study II.

In The Nurses' Health Study which began in 1976 included 121,000 registered nurses and in the Nurses' Health Study II included 121,000 registered nurses and which began in 1989.  These two group data were analyzed in two factors. First after every two years that data about their health and lifestyle is collected and the second one every four years data about diet, including alcohol consumption was analyzed.

After this analysis they concluded that beer really help women to ease their RA pain! But concentrated on "Long-term moderate alcohol drinking"

Along with this studies output, Lu also said that he and his group can't explain why beer helps, but it is true. He also said that this study is only done on women not on men, thus he has no idea about the effect of beer on men.

For this his statement was-""We don't know for men, but rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a woman's disease."

This new study reminded the other researcher's studies done on this subject.

Dr. Len Horovitz, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City has also said that "There is a correlation between alcohol and a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis over time" in his study.

Another one Dr. Daniel Arkfeld, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles said that-"Prior studies have linked moderate alcohol intake with lower rheumatoid arthritis risk, but added that none had focused on beer specifically"

Dr. Daniel Arkfeld said one reason to verify this study that-"It's possible that alcohol may work to boost levels of estrogen, which is protective against rheumatoid arthritis"

Thus winding up occasional moderate beer drinking is good for you Women's!! But be in touch with your doctor.

12 May 2014 - International ME/CFS & FM Awareness Day

As May Month starts it is said as Arthritis caring and awareness month. On 10 May its Lupus awareness day and the whole world is uniting and raising fund to spread awareness about Lupus. Likewise same is on May 12-Its Fibromyalgia awareness day.  For this too we need to unite and spread awareness.

Do we really need to stand for this???

Yes!!! Off course!!! Fibro is with us!!It's a Fibro frog!!!

All know that OA is the most common arthritis affecting so many peoples in US, but who holds the second position. It's Fibromyalgia-the second most common ailment affecting the musculoskeletal system disease.  It is estimated by American College of Rheumatology in 2004 that approximately 1 in 50 Americans is estimated to have fibromyalgia.

Statistic really made us to think about this disease!!!!

May 12th is not only the awareness day for Fibro but all Chronic Immunological and Neurological diseases.

Why need to spread awareness on any diseases and Say 12 May as Fibromyalgia awareness day:

• To give importance to finding done on the cause and precaution for Fibro.
• To support and boost the morale of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• Stand for the rights of fibro patient.
• To educate and spread awareness about Fibro- those you are suffering and those you are caretakers of fibro patient.
• To inform and say that they can live a healthy life to the new ones who are newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• To stand united for just one thought-" Awareness about  fibromyalgia"
• Give support and give hope to all Fibro patients.
• To stand that we will find a proper cure for this one day.

Thus come and join on 12 May to spread awareness on Fibro. You can find more information about the event organized on this day on National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association site.

Video Source: Youtube

10 May 2014 World Lupus Day-Around the Globe

Image: Purple For Lupus
Image Source: Google Image

May 10 will be celebrated as World Lupus day for creating awareness among the people. Purple will be the color of the day. We all must joint and make that day-A day of awareness, A day of fighting against Lupus, A day to help and raise fund for Lupus sufferer.

You all must be knowing that Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects our immune system by attacking our healthy tissue. It can attack any part or our body like joints, heart, kidney, lungs and blood cells. It is mainly of 4 types: Systemic, Discoid, Drug-induced and Neonatal. The most common is systemic lupus erythematosus(SEL).

For creating awareness on May 10 what the countries around the world are doing. Just have look over few countries.

1. South America: Argentina

Association Lupus Argentina (ALUA) is going to hosting Medical Symposium with different Lupus patients, families, medical and social workers. They will be distributing free instructional brochures about the event and the illness. Location for this event is Buenos Aires - Argentina : - Auditorium of  Bank of Buenos Aires City.

2. North America: Canada

Here there are two major events on May 10

• In Toronto,the CN Tower will be lit Red and White on May 10.
• Niagara Falls Walk for Lupus will be held in Oakes Park on May 31, 2014.

3. Asia: Indonesia

On World Lupus Day 2014, Indonesia- Care for Lupus SDF (Syamsi Dhuha Foundation) is organizing several activities. The lists of activities are:

• Research Sponsorship.
• Writing Competition.
• Lifetime Achievement Awards.
• Launching a book title "Mentarimorfosa - 10 years Journey of SDF"
• Lupus Awareness Campaign through social media.

4. Europe: 

In Cyprus: 

Here an interactive Workshop by the name-"WE HOLD OUR LIFE IN OUR HANDS" will be conducted. It will include Presentation, discussion and sharing of knowledge by Rheumatologist.

In Germany:

In Germany too workshop will be held to spread awareness among the people.

In Hungary: 

Lectures will be conducted to spread awareness about Lupus in WLD. Along   with taking a tour to Szeged with train and will also conduct some games like pools. Guest will be also offered by some sandwiches and refreshments.

In Ireland:

Lupus Group Ireland will be organizing an online campaign through FB & Twitter. You just need to share a lupus poster and one fact about it on your profile page & twitter accounts.

World is uniting on May 10!!!
Come and be a part of this!!
Learn and spread awareness about LUPUS.

Learn about Lupus Facts

What happens when your own immune system becomes hyperactive and starts working against your body system and attack your healthy tissue. This is what called an autoimmune disease -"Lupus".

Read here to know some facts about Lupus:

• Lupus can damage your joints, your skin,

  

  Image: The systems affected by Lupus.
  Image Source: Google Serach

  your kidney and even your blood and lungs.
  
• The most common type of lupus known is SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus). The other types are discoid, neonatal and drug-induced.
  
• It is estimated by Lupus Foundation of America that 1.5 to 2 million Americans have some form of lupus!!! A serious concern!!!
  
• To this estimation it's also said that women are diagnosed 9 times more often than men and lupus can affect women of any age weather she is 15 year old or 45 year old.
  
• Lupus is not related to cancer or HIV.
  
• Infection, medication or extreme sunlight exposures are the various risk factors of Lupus.
  
• The exact cause of Lupus is not known till now.
  
• It is believed by doctors that Lupus cause can be related to genetic and environmental factor.
  
• Genetic factor can be related to DNA or genes you have or if you have a family history of Lupus.
  
• Regarding the environmental factors the cause is very wide, it can be extreme exposure  to sunlight, infection from any virus such as Epstein-Barr or infection through chemical exposure.
  
• The symptoms of Lupus are: bruising, headaches, fever, weight loss or gain, skin lesions, depression, chest pain, mouth ulcers, memory loss and blood clotting problems.
  
• No cure for lupus of any type.

Only the symptoms of lupus can be treated with some prescribed drugs.

Although lupus can affect anybody what we can do is just we have to go for best treatment with a health care and follow what he says and change your life style accordingly.

A new Invention: Wrap-round pads

Yes!!! This is a new invention-"a wrap-round pad" helps to ease pain with the help of your own body heat.

Don't be surprised, it's really true!!!!

This warp-round pad is mad of a unique material that uses the infrared heat of your own body to ease joints pain. The heat generated is utilized to itself to ease your joint pain.

What is its Working?

Fig: Wrap-round pad.
Image source: dailymail.co.uk

The working is that the wrap-pad uses the far infrared radiation (FIR) to create heat.  This FIR creates vibrations within human cells; it is basically a light wave. This warp contains a unique bioceramic compound that works without power or batteries. The mechanism is so maintained that the wrap starts the heat therapy to treat our paining joints with the bearable heat.

What is the use?

This can be used when you have any type of joint pain. You can wear it when you have any injuries, muscles stiffness or even have arthritis. It can be used for various kind of pain whether in knee, ankle, back, wrist, neck, elbow or shoulder. It is designed depends upon the type of pain you have. It has two fabric pads that make it easy to use and apply on any part of body. If you have headache, the solution is the wrap-pad they why to go for medicines!!!

What is the feedback?

To the surprise feedback has been overwhelmingly good. That means it is adapted by many people and they are happy with its result. The creator of this says that this finely ground bioceramic crystal wrap pad is compatible with the human body.

Is there any precaution?

No much!!! But said that the people with any type of skin allergies, high blood pressure or fever are not advice to use it. Plus pregnant ladies too don't go for this.

This patch or pad is said to worn up to four hours a day at starting and can be increased to eight hour later on when your body get used to four hours of use.

Cracking Knuckles Cause Arthritis: A Myth or A Fact

Fig: Cracking Knuckles
Image Source: Google Image

It is mostly seen that when people sit for long duration of time in a single place they are likely to knuckle their finger and back. For some people it is a pleasurable thing to do, because they think it gives some peace from the pain they have. For others they think it as annoying, dangerous and even say that it leads to arthritis.

Thus, is there any true fact behind Cracking Knuckles Cause Arthritis, or is just a myth.  Let's have a look.

This may be a myth or it may be fact because till now we don't have a scientific answer to this question. What we know from the past studies is that it doesn't have any connection to arthritis. Some small and mostly outdated data found in PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science also says that there are no evidence to prove that knuckle-cracking can lead to arthritis or can progress the diseases.

Fig: Normal and Arthritis hand
Image Source: Google Image

There is one study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM) about knuckle-cracking and arthritis also said that there is not a risk factor for osteoarthritis and knuckle-cracking. This study was analyzed on the basis of patient having history of with and without radiographic-evidence of OA.

Before this study, there were two more studies done on this subject some 20 years ago named Effect of habitual knuckle cracking on hand function and The Consequences of Habitual Knuckle Cracking. Both these studies were too proved nothing about the relation between the knuckle cracking and arthritis.

So many studies been done, still it fails to come on true fact to co-relate Cracking Knuckles and Arthritis. This absence of evidence makes this point more towards a myth. Still waiting for another study that can unfounded this.

Video Source: healthguru.com

"Milk"- Does It Really Helps Relieve Arthritis Symptoms

Most of us in childhood hate drinking milk; we do lots of drama in front of parents that we don't want to drink milk with childish excuses that it tastes bad or smell bad. To all this drama our parents just say that milk is good and it will help you to grow up big and strong like a super hero.

Whether milk will make you a super hero or not but will make you

help relief arthritis symptom. This fact about milk is reveled in a new research done on 2000 arthritis patients by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The researcher clubbed men and women who have arthritis and then analyzed the information about their diets and x-rayed the knees every year for continuously four years.

Through this study it is found that milk helps to slow down the progress of disease. This fact was seen in both men and women, but men were suggested to drink seven or more glasses a week to see the same results as what their counterpart women have shown.

The result of this can differ; as it is true that the food that we eat will affect our body depending upon who that food gets digested and absorbed in our bodies. Thus before ending this new research the scientist has said that people with arthritis should start drinking milk which is low-fat or is fat-free milk.

This research is published in Arthritis Care & Research online journals.

Facts to know about joint pain

 

Your body is connected to each other and that connection is known as “joints”.  You never feel this connection until something happens in your joints. This something can be pain, swelling, inflammation when you get hurt by some accident or this can also be due to some other problems in joints such as arthritis.

 

If you suffer from these problems you are not alone in this world. It is estimated that more than 50 million Americans have arthritis or have some or the other kind of joint problem. We can classify this joint pain fact into two sections and have thing discuss with you:

Having pain in joints due to some injuries:

Injuries affect ligaments, bursae, or tendons surrounding the joint, which then leads to joint pain. Due to this internal damage to joints parts it lead to pain, inflammation, swelling and tenderness in joints. Sometimes these types of injuries make the skin color to get changed as blood is accumulated in the nearby tissues.

This type of injuries if treated well, will not again create problem in future, but if left untreated can lead to infection and internal wear and tear in joints and leads to tumors in joint.

If you have pain in your joints due to injuries, then you have to first follow the basic step of RICE.

• R- Rest: If you give proper rest to you joints, it will never again hurt to in future. Sometimes due to staining your joints the small problem to pain becomes a, life time pain.
  
• I-Ice: Try to ice you joints. Keep ice cubes in a cotton cloth and wrap it will. Then have 10-15 minutes of ice massage on your joints.
  
• C-Compress: Compress your joints.  It will help your joints to heal early.
  
• E-Elevate: This will help the swelling to get minimized.

Along with this you have to follow your doctor’s advice and take the medicines on time.

     Having pain in joints due to arthritis:

Arthritis is defined as a complex musculoskeletal disorder that leads to internal wear and tear of synovial fluid and cartilage around the joints. It is not just a disease when you get old but the fact is that every 2 person out of 10 in Americans have arthritis.

There are many types of arthritis form, but most common diseases that make up arthritis are:

•   Osteoarthritis (OA):  Called as a progressive degenerative joint disease.
  
•   Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Causes extreme inflammation of the membranes lining the joint.
  
•   Juvenile Arthritis (JA): Commonly found in children below the age of 16 year.

Depending upon the type of arthritis, treatment is followed. You have to first consult a doctor; he will examine you and then decide a proper treatment for you. Still the basic treatment includes:

            Medication: It helps to ease the pain and inflammation in your joints. It helps to prevent the further infection in joints. For example corticosteroids or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are given to RA to suppress your immune system.

            Surgery: Joints are replaced with an artificial one, but this is the last option when all the other treatment fails.

            Physical Therapy: This is the first and last line defense army of your joints. When your pain is started it’s the first thing to go with this therapy and is continued it till it can be done with ease. 

Preventing joint pain:

If you have pain, then pain can be minimized but for preventing pain you have to take care that your joints don’t get hurt.  Stay healthy and stay away from injuries. This joint pain fact is applicable for both the type of pain- Pain due to injuries or Pain due to arthritis.

 Before ending this one last point that if you have family history of arthritis then it’s wise enough to get yourself diagnosed if pains in joints are unexplainable.

Can Blood test predict who will suffer from arthritis?

Fig: Blood test
Image source: Google search

This statement can put a million dollar smile on the face of many arthritis patient who think that their condition would have been better if they were diagnosed earlier. British scientists has done this breakthrough .

This will make many to take preventative measures form the beginning if they are going to have arthritis in near future and will also save their money to go for joint replacements along with the giving them alert become coming.

It is estimated that more than 8 million people in UK have OA and to this estimation the treatment is only NSAIDs or artificial joints through surgery. All knows OA leads cartilage wear and tear, leading to pain and stiffness in joints.

To this a hopeful statement said by Dr. MohammedSharif, Senior Lecturer of Bristol University-“ We hope to find out whether they can reliably distinguish between a healthy person and a person with osteoarthritis, identify which patients’ condition will get worse, and whether a particular drug is working or not”

Arthritis Research UK has made a £300,000 charity to Dr. Sharif’s team to find out the biomarkers so that it can be used to diagnose the condition and take proper precaution at the beginning itself.

At present there is no single test that can make the diagnosis of osteoarthritis at an early stage. There is no cure for it that make can eliminate the OA from its root. NHS spends at least £5.2billion a year for treating arthritis conditions.

Hope this test comes soon so that OA get caught in time.

What causes arthritis?

If your joints have pain, inflammation, redness, stiffness, swelling. If yes, all these symptoms are basically known as arthritis symptoms. Arthritis is defined as pain and inflammation of musculoskeletal system that affect the joints of your body.

It is estimated that 2 of 5 American is said to have one or the other form of arthritis. It is rising on an alarming rate. Whatever the solution of the problem, it first comes into the mind that-"what causes arthritis?"

To understand in a better way, let's have a look over the working of joints.

Fig: Normal Healthy Joint
Source: Google search

• Joint is basically a junction between two bones. These bones are held together by muscles and ligaments. Due to their proper working bones move with ease and causes no pain in junction point.
• Then the bones are covered by cartilage to protect them from rubbing to each other. This is a scientific fact that cartilages are the lubricating factor that helps bone to work smoothly without any friction.
• After that comes the synovial fluid. Synovial fluid nourishes the joint and the cartilage.
• When you have arthritis the synovial fluid and cartilage starts to wear out. Due to this wear and tear of synovial fluid the bones starts rubbing to each other.
• Along with that sometimes lack of synovial fluid, infection in the cartilage, or the combination of all can lead to arthritis.

This cause comes under one roof, the other roof reasons are: 

• Internal injury.
• Inflammation of the tendon.
• Bone infection.
• Overuse of bones.
• Age and Genetic factor.
• Cancer.

Whatever the cause if you have unexplained joint pain, then don't waste your time just checked by your doctor. 

3 Basic Facts About The Human Body And Joint Pain

Source: Images.google.com

It’s not always that when you have joint pain it’s only due to arthritis. It can also be due to other reasons. Your body is a complicated machine that has lots of internal mechanism and internal work process. 

Let’s have a look over the 3 Basic Facts about the human body that can help you to get relief to your joint pain.

Source: Images.google.com

Fact 1: BONES goes where MUSCLES pull them:

This is quite understandable that bones don’t move on their own will.  They are just like an anchor that helps the muscles to perform their jobs. Thus if your muscles pain, you think that your internal bone joints are paining.

Fact 2: MUSCLES do what NERVES tell them to do:

Now you will ask how muscles do the work????. It’s the nerve you tell them to do the job. The nerves are responsible for each and every single action that you do. If nerve are traced along the muscles pathway properly your pain cause can be actually know and can help to free the pain.

Fact 3: JOINTS are made up of bones, muscles and soft-tissues:

Your soft tissue includes tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.  There will no tension and pressure on the soft tissue if the bone and muscles works properly.  Your soft tissue pains only when your bone, muscles and nerves are affected.

Conclusion

The pain in the joint can be just due to pain in your muscles. First try to think about the reason for the joints pain. If nothing improves in your condition and it is worsening day by day then you must consult a doctor.