Nurse's Notes
Kate Reeves x 171
parish_nurse@stmargarets.org
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
Winter is here! Even in the desert, this means cooler weather and more humidity. While we enjoy the not quite so hot sunshine, this type of weather pattern is less comfortable for those of us who suffer from arthritis. In fact, a good many of our “snowbirds” are here because they suffer so much from the joint-stiffening winter climate of the northern states and Canada. It isn’t all about golf!
Did you know that there are over 100 different types of arthritis? They all have one thing in common: The pain can interfere with your ability to do the things you enjoy. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in Americans older than fifteen.
There are things you can do to protect your joints, reduce pain and improve mobility. However living with arthritis usually requires a multi-faceted approach, including drugs, physical therapy, exercise, and even some of what are called “complementary”approaches.
After the Vioxx problems, many folks are reluctant to try anything for arthritis pain. Nevertheless there are some promising new drugs emerging. For example, the FDA recently approved anInterleukin-1 Inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and there are now better drugs with fewer side effects for osteoarthritis.
Despite the variety of medications available, physical therapy is the cornerstone of traditional treatment. A physical therapist will focus on restoring or maintaining function by designing an individualized treatment. As you probably know, this therapy can take place in a clinic, office or at home. Some activities can be done alone; some will require the therapist’s assistance.
Complementary therapies run the gamut from A to Z, literally—from acupuncture to zinc supplements. At least one out of every four people with arthritis uses some type of complementary therapy and al though hundreds have been tried, only a few have proved to be effective when evaluated with rigorous scientific studies. Become a wise consumer—and to do that you need to be a bit skeptical. No real treatment ever promises a cure. And always discuss any plan with your doctor first.
Here are five ways to treat arthritis, as recommended by Harvard Medical School:
Exercise
Diet
Heat and Cold Therapy
Acupuncture
Glucosamine and Chondrotin
We all want to enjoy life. Let’s hope that one or a combination of these will allow us to do so.
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