Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA is an autoimmune disease with an unknown etiology that affects one percent of the world's population. RA causes chronic inflammation and joint pain. Findings from physical examinations are the main way of clinically diagnosing RA. To this point, the exact cause of RA is still unknown. The signs of "swelling, bony erosions, and synovial thickening" (Gibofsky) show the hidden signs of inflammatory and autoimmune process. More complex signs of RA lead to synovial hyperplasia, bony erosion, and cartilage damage which generally affect 80% of people with RA within the first year of diagnosis. Once there is eroded bones, there is is no sign of repairing the bone. This gives the suggestion that the prevention of bone erosion is a goal. RA also causes joint damage which may lead to pain and disability. The severity of the pain and physical disfunction show the degree of the disease. RA is affected by the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment. Remission occurs in 20% or less of people. Standard disease activity indices are used to determine the best treat to target approach using pharmacologic intervention. The front line treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis is with the use of medication. The three main pharmacologic therapies for treating Rheumatoid Arthritis are nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Out if the three pharmacologic therapies listed above, nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are the most commonly used medication for controlling stiffness, pain and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis. For the first few weeks NSAIDs can be very useful while undergoing diagnosis and a tr... ... middle of paper ... ...sability and mortality. It is important for people who see these symptoms to get diagnosed and begin treatment before any extensive joint and bone damage occurs. This will bring hope in further improvements in the management if rheumatoid arthritis. Works Cited Curtis, Jeffrey R., Angelo Gaffo, and Kenneth G. Saag. “Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 63.24 (2006): 2451+. Academic OneFile. Web. 25 Jan.2014 Gibsofsky, Allan. “Overview Of Epidemiolgy, Pathophysiology, and Diagnosis Of Rheumatoid Arthritis.” American Journal Of Managed Care 18. (2012): S295-302. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 25 Jan. 2014 Schneider, Matthias and Klaus Kruger. “Rheumatoid Arthritis—Early Diagnosis and Disease Management.” Deutsches Aerzteblatt International 110.27/28 (2013): 477-484. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 25 Jan. 2014
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Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s tissue (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017). This disease affects the entire body, which is called a systemic (means entire body) disease. Arthritis is derived from the word part arthr-, which means “joint,” and -itis, which means “inflammation,” so altogether it means “inflammation of the joints.” It creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints (synovium) to thicken. About 1.5 million people in the U.S. are affected. It affects all races, but it affects three times as many women than men (What is Rheumatoid Arthritis, n.d.). Overtime, rheumatoid arthritis causes painful swelling that can potentially result in bone erosion or joint deformity, which leads up to physical disabilities. RA can affect more than just your joints, but can spread to body systems, skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood vessels, e.t.c (Rheumatoid arthritis, 2017).
Makover, M. & Zieve, D. (2011, February 14). Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001471/
Osteoarthritis is not a curable condition, but it can be treated using both pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods. Mild analgesics are a common form of treatment for OA, including Acetaminophen and NSAIDs, taking into consideration other co-morbidities that may be present. It is recommended that adults over 75 years of age utilize topical NSAIDs rather than oral for treatment of the pain (Tugwell et al, 2012). Research by A...
Arthritis affects people of all age groups. More than 100 types of arthritis are known. Among these osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis having the highest incidence. One of the major causes of chronic debilitation in industrialized nations is Osteoarthritis which results from damage to the joints, which may be due to trauma, infection, or age-related wear. Rheumatoid arthritis is encountered less frequently than osteoarthritis and is estimated to affect around one per cent of the world’s population. Amongst patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, women are three times more likely to be affected by this condition than men. This condition is caused by an inflammatory process where the body starts attacking itself. Rheumatoid arthritis also affects several joints, with inflammation sometimes seen in and around the lungs, the heart, the eyes and the skin. The most commonly reported complaint by arthritis patients is pain. The pain might be from the joint itself and be a result of inflammation, damage from the disease, or through daily wear and tear. Muscle pain is also common and is caused by having to force movements against stiff and painful joints. Although range of movement in the affected joint may be limited and uncomfortable, physical exercise has been shown to benefit those with arthritis. Physical therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain in the long term and delay the need for surgery in advanced cases. The majority of arthritis cases occur among theelderly, however the disease can occur in children as well. Over 70% of the population that get affected by arthritis in North America are over the age of 65 (4). The disease occurs more commonly in females than males in all races, age groups, and ethn...
It is used for the treatment of arthritis and also for treating the back pain, shoulder pain and knee pain.
The disease can either be active or in remission depending on whether the tissues are inflamed or not. There are no systems when Rheumatoid Arthritis is in remission. When it becomes active again, it is called a flare and all the symptoms come back. The main symptoms are: fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, aches in the muscles and joints, and stiffness. The stiffness usually occurs in the morning or after resting for a long time. The joints can also go red, swell and be painful because the joint lining is inflamed which causes extra synovial fluid to be produced and the joint lining tissue to get thicker. The early symptoms usually are in small joints of the hands and wrists, and they are pain and stiffness...
Bibliography: Arthritis Foundation, Understanding Arthritis (1986); Kelley, William N., et al., eds., Textbook of Rheumatology, 2d ed., (1985); McCarty, Daniel F., ed., Arthritis and Allied Conditions, 11th ed. (1988); Moll, J. M. H., Rheumatology in Clinical Practice (1987).
Page-Reeves, J., Niforatos, J., Mishra, S., Regino, L., Gingrich, A., & Bulten, J. (2011). Health
During my residency, I had the opportunity to work with the Rheumatology Rehabilitation team at the University of Alberta (U of A). I met passionate mentors in physical and occupational therapy dedicated to helping arthritis patients preserve and optimize joint function. There was one man with rheumatoid arthritis attending the program who said the most important learning point he wanted me to take away was how much his rheumatologist and the rehab team had changed his life. Prior to starting biologic therapy, he was completely debilitated in his day-to-day life and unable to perform simple activities such as picking up his young children. He now found himself not only with disease control, but also quality of life. I value the multidisciplinary approach in rheumatology and emphasis on treating the “whole” patient, rather than a single organ
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What is Arthritis? Arthritis is inflammation of a joint bringing such symptoms as chronic joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. The Arthritis Society states that approximately 4.6 million Canadians are currently living with arthritis; by 2036 this number will increase to 7.5 million (1 in 5). Health care costs and loss of productivity amount to $33 billion, by the year 2031 this number is expected to double. (The Arthritis Society, 2014). According to Aging in Contemporary Canada, arthritis and rheumatism is the most common chronic health problem of Canadian seniors affecting 47%. (Chappell, McDonald, & Stones, 2008, p. 221). With over 100 types of arthritis varying from mild to severe the most common age related form is osteoarthritis (OA) affecting 1 in 10 Canadians. Approximately 13% of Canadians suffer with OA. Joint damage from OA accounts for 80% of hip replacement surgery and over 90% of knee replacement surgeries. (The Arthritis Society, 2014). Severe cases of OA can restrict the ability to participate in activities and consequently affect a person’s quality of life. At this time there is no cure for OA without a joint replacement. Although OA can affect all ages the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact this disorder has on the daily activities and functioning on the aging population. Discussion will also highlight the origin and manifestations of this disorder and will examine current and future treatment options available.
Arthritis affects the hips, knees, spine, hands, lower back, neck, and knuckles. Osteoarthritis spreads throughout the body damaging organs and connective tissue. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured. Physicians seek only to relieve the pain and prevent the patient from becoming disabled. A surgeon may...