Rheumatoid Arthritis
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CURING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WITH NATURO-FOOD THERAPY
WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS?
1. The word arthritis means inflammation of joints. It is derived from two Greek words, “athron” meaning joints and “itis” meaning inflammation. There are about 200 types of arthritis of which three most commonly known are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout.
2. Osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease, affects primarily the weight bearing joints like the hip, knees, but may affect the spine, hands and other parts of the body. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage, that normally covers and cushions the ends of the bone, breakdown due to excessive wear and tear and age. As bone rubs against bone, the joint loses shape and alignment; the ends of the bone thicken and form bony growths called spurs; and bits of cartilage or bone can float within the joint space. The result is stiff, swollen, aching joints.
3. Gout, also known as “the disease of kings”, is associated with over-indulgence in rich food and alcohol. Gout is a form of arthritic joint disease caused by a disorder of the metabolism (body chemistry) mainly through higher levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout develops over many years and raises its head without warning. The big toe is affected the most, while the ankles, heels, feet, knees, fingers, hands, wrist and elbows also share the brunt.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered to be an auto-immune disease caused by the body’s immune system attacking its own cells and tissues. White blood cells which normally hunt and destroy harmful bacteria and viruses in your blood seem to invade and attack the soft tissues in the joints. It is a progressive inflammatory condition which affects not only the joints of fingers, wrists, hips, knees, shoulders and the feet but also the muscles, tendons and other tissues of the body. It is a process in which the body’s immune system destroys the synovial membrane surrounding the lubricating fluid in the joints accompanied by swelling, redness and tenderness of the joints and eventual deformity.
5. The cartilage and tissues in and around the joints and often the bone surfaces are destroyed. The body replaces this damaged tissue with scar tissue, causing the spaces between the joints to become narrow and to develop folds. Sometimes the scar tissue solidifies into bones, fusing the joint, making it rigid and difficult to move. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause skin lumps (nodules) and damage to the blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, spleen, lungs, brain and heart. It can cripple or even kill a person. The disease can result in fatigue, fever, low blood pressure, stiffness, anaemia, colitis, weight loss, swollen and throbbing joints, joint damage and limitation or loss of function of joints. Movement of the joints becomes extremely painful, especially in cold, damp and windy weather.
