Arthritis is among the oldest known afflictions of human beings. It has been found in the mummies of Egypt and in skeletons in excavations of other ancient civilizations.

The word -arthritis- literally means joint inflammation, but it is often used more broadly to indicate any of the more than 100 so called rheumatic diseases. Such disorders can affect not only the joints but other connective tissues of the body. These include important supporting structures, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as the protective coverings of internal organs.In some respects, this reaction is similar to an allergy, in which the body often reacts with a runny nose and itchy eyes. In rheumatoid arthritis, the autoimmune response can lead to permanent, painful changes in the joints.

The joints are the intersections of two bones. The ends of the bones are covered with cartilage (a smooth, durable substance) that allows bones to glide over each other with minimal friction. Cartilage also acts as a cushioning device to absorb forces. A structure called the joint capsule surrounds, stabilizes, and protects the joint. Within the capsule is a synovial membrane that contains synovial fluid (viscous substance similar to oil) that transports nutrients to the cartilage and keeps its surface well lubricated so the joints can work smoothly.

The rheumatic diseases vary greatly from person to person and from one disease to another. Their effects vary from a slight pain, stiffness, and swelling to crippling and disability. Therapies range from a warm bath and massage, to changes in lifestyle, to combinations of antiarthritic drugs or surgery.

In the United States:

* Musculoskeletal conditions cost our society an estimated $254 billion every year.1
* 1 out of every 7 Americans reports a musculoskeletal impairment.2
* 28.6 million Americans incur a musculoskeletal injury every year.2
* More than half of all injuries are to the musculoskeletal system.3
* More than 43 million people have some form of arthritis.10
* It is estimated that the number of people affected by arthritis will increase to 60 million by 2020.11
* 1 out of every 2 women and 1 out of every 8 men older than age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.9
* Back or spine impairments, which number 18.4 million, are the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions for persons age 18 and older. 2
* Sprains, dislocations and fractures account for nearly 65 percent of all musculoskeletal injuries2.
* More than 3 million hospitalizations are due to musculoskeletal conditions and injuries annually.7
* Each year, musculoskeletal conditions and injuries account for about 102.3 million visits to physicians' offices, 10.2 million hospital outpatient visits, and 25 million emergency department visits.5,6
* Approximately 7.5 million musculoskeletal procedures are performed by physicians every year.4,8

Arthritis and related musculoskeletal disorders cost the nation an estimated $31 billion annually in medical expenditures and associated economic losses, according to the National Arthritis Data Workgroup convened by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). The Workgroup projects that by the year 2000, these disorders will account for over $95 billion of the nation's health costs. Because a large percentage of those with arthritis and related disorders are 65 years of age or older, much of this economic burden falls on public resources such as Medicare and Medicaid. However, no measure of economic impact can adequately represent the personal and social burden of arthritis.

As scientific knowledge about the rheumatic diseases has grown, their complexity has become more apparent. In fact, authorities now list more than 100 different disorders that fall under the heading of the rheumatic diseases. Each is a distinct disease with different causes and different prospects for recovery. Several of the most common disorders are discussed below.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most difficult of the rheumatic diseases to control and can do the most damage to the joints. According to the Arthritis Foundation, in 1988 it affected over 2.1 million people in the United States, two-thirds of whom are women. The condition generally starts between the ages of 20 and 50, although it can begin at any age.

RA usually affects many joints, most commonly the small joints of the hands. The affected, joints become inflamed. painful, and swollen, and later deformed. In addition, there may be general symptoms such as weakness, fatigue and loss of appetite. The disease tends to be both chronic and irregular; it can be severely disabling. It can flare up suddenly, and just as quickly go into remission. Emotional stress appears to play a role. While stress is not a direct cause of rheumatoid arthritis, it can hasten progression of the disease and make it worse.

Although it is not possible today to cure rheumatoid arthritis, it is possible for patients to cope successfully with their affliction with the help of their physicians and other specialists. The prime objective of treatment is prevention of joint destruction. The possibility of having a remission of the disease makes it important that all efforts be made to prevent joint destruction during the active stage. Once damage has occurred, it may be irreversible.

Since rheumatoid arthritis is usually chronic and may last a lifetime, physicians try to avoid the use of toxic drugs as far as possible. The patient is usually started on large doses of aspirin, which is the most reliable and least toxic of all antiarthritic drugs. It is most likely to provide sustained control of symptoms at the lowest risk of undesirable side effects.

Two new therapies are currently being investigated by NIAMS grantees. Dr. Jon Levine, University of California, San Francisco, has discovered that a substance found in the nervous system may play an important role in promoting the inflammatory component of arthritis. To determine whether inhibiting this substance could reduce this problem, the researchers gave 24 patients with active RA either a placebo or a drug called quanethidine (a regional nerve blocker). After 14 days, the researchers found that quanethidine decreased the patients' pain and increased their finger-pinch strength, whereas those who were given the placebo had no appreciable change.

In another study designed to develop new therapies for RA, Dr. David Trentham and associates at Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, found that patients given the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A - used by organ transplant recipients - had significantly less pain and joint swelling. The researchers reported that cyclosporin A is clinically effective in patients with RA that does not respond to other treatment, but its therapeutic value is limited by its toxicity for the kidney and elsewhere. Lower doses of the drug may reduce its toxicity.

Other drug therapies that are sometimes used include chloroquine, gold and gold compounds, penicillamine, immunosuppressives, and corticosteroids. These treatments have quite serious side effects, however, and are used only when the rheumatoid arthritis cannot be controlled with more conservative measures.

Besides medications, doctors usually recommend a balance of rest and exercise. Rest can mean having the patient lie down when tired, or it can mean resting swollen, painful joints. A prescribed plan of physical activity generally involves regular, gentle, and slowly progressive exercises.

Osteoarthritis

The most common form of arthritis, afflicting more than 16 million Americans, is degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis (OA). OA primarily affects cartilage - the protective material that covers and cushions the ends of the bones - causing it to fray, wear, ulcerate, and in extreme cases, to disappear entirely, leaving a bone-on-bone joint. At the edges of the joint, bony spurs may form. Disability results most often from disease in the weight-bearing joints (knees, hips, and spine).

Older people are the most frequent victims of osteoarthritis. Excessive or unusual wear of the joints is an important contributing factor and results from overweight, poor posture, injury, strain from one's occupation or recreation, or a combination of these factors. The most common symptoms are pain and stiffness. Pain is usually experienced when joints are used, especially finger joints and those that bear the body's weight. Enlargement of the fingers at the last joint often occurs. Such enlargements are common and are called Heberden's nodes. Although permanent, these nodes seldom lead, to disability.

The same general methods of treatment and care that are used for rheumatoid arthritis are equally effective in treatment of osteoarthritis. Drug therapy is not nearly as important, although painkillers and anti-inflammatory agents are helpful in some people. Surgical correction of deformed weight-bearing joints, especially hips, has been effective in helping many osteoarthritis patients to walk again without pain.

Scleroderma

Scleroderma is characterized by excessive deposits of collagen (a structureal protein) in the skin and various other organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. These deposits can cause thickening and hardening of the affected organs. The disease often begins with Raynaud's phenomenon, blanching and cooling of fingers and toes on exposure to cold or during emotional episodes, Raynaud's phenomenon, which occurs in about 5% of the population, results from abnormal changes in the small blood vessels of the hands and feet that prevent the blood from flowing properly.

Sjogren's Syndrome

Sjogren's syndrome is marked by dryness of the eyes and mouth, caused by the destruction of the lymph glands that secrete tears and saliva. It may be a primary disease, or it may be secondary to certain rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma. Patients with this disease may also be at increased risk for developing lymphomas, as well as inflammatory blood vessel disease and nervous system dysfunction. Sjogren's syndrome is common in women but not well recognized in men.

Arthritis may be preceded or accompanied by a period of fatigue and a feeling of weakness. Pain in the joints almost always begins in the hands, especially in the knuckles, and often in both hands simultaneously, as in the case of one of the commonest types called rheumatoid arthritis.

Because of the inflammatory reaction, the joints swell and become red, stiff and sore.
The problem is worse in the morning than during the day.
There can be periods of improvement which may be followed by a relapse.

sympotms of arthritis

Here is a list of arthritis symptoms that you need to look out for. Each person will show different symptom because of the nutritional make up will be different.

· Dry scalp with dandruff

· Dry skin which shows a whitish in different parts of the body

· Ear has no ear wax

· Fingernails that are brittle or splitting

· Premature color change to gray

· Skin wrinkles in the neck area

· Ringing in the ears

· Complexion color is pale

· Stretch mark which appear after losing weight

· Rectum itching

· Accumulation of dried flakes at the corners of the eyes

· Nose is constantly itching

· Feeling stiffness when getting up in the morning

· Hands and legs get cold and clammy

· Bleeding gums

· Teeth have etch lines

· Varicose veins in the legs

· Being sterile

From this list of arthritis symptoms, you can see that many symptoms relate to your body being dry. One of the causes of arthritis is the lack of essential oils. If you lack oil in your body, you will have dryness throughout your body. You will lack the oil that provides the lubrication to the body joints.

You can have one or many of these arthritis symptoms. If you do, you can start at any age using the oils good for preventing arthritis. You can start eliminating those foods that are detrimental to your joints and health. Some times it takes awhile to eliminate specific foods from you eating habits. So the sooner you start the better.

Without the proper oil reaching your joints, your joints will slowly degrade. The cartilage of your joints will be dry and this causes friction. This friction causes heat that will help in the slow degradation of your joints. Because the cartilage has no blood vessels, nutritional oils cannot be directly delivered its cells. Oils have to be absorbed into the cartilage by osmosis.

Look over this list of arthritis symptoms and decide if you have one or more. Remember, arthritis takes many years to appear after the symptom does.

What're the risk factors for arthritis?

Age - The risk of developing arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, increases with age. An important risk, which baby boomers may have trouble facing, is age. Arthritis often begins soon after age 40 after years of wear and tear on your joints.

Gender - In general, arthritis occurs more frequently in women than in men. In particular, women are at higher risk of many forms of arthritis than men. More women than men get arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis. This tends to begin in young or middle-aged women. The pain and fatigue often lead to anger and doubts about coping with the demands of family life and careers.

Obesity - People who are overweight have a higher chance of developing arthritis. Excess weight increases the risk for developing osteoarthritis in the knees. This may also apply to the hips and hands. Women are at special risk for this. In men, excess weight increases the risk for developing gout. People who are more than 10 pounds overweight have a higher risk for arthritis, especially in weight-bearing joints like the knees. Increased weight puts significantly more pressure on joints, causing cartilage (the cushioning layer between bones in a joint) to break down faster than usual.

Injury - A past severe knee injury, which also damages cartilage and leads to quicker breakdown, adds to arthritis risk. Joint injuries caused by accidents or overuse increase the risk for some types of arthritis. Certain genes can be inherited that may increase the risk for some types of arthritis. More research is needed to find out how to reduce the risk from these factors.

Ethnicity - Ethnic background affects the relative risk of arthritis in many people too. The condition does appear to run in families, which suggests that there is a genetic link. Researchers say that genetics, coupled with a variety of environmental factors, may trigger the disease in people who are prone to it.

Click here for Therapy