Posts Tagged ‘internal body organs’

A chronic, progressive autoimmune disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis causes chronic inflammation of the joints and, in some cases, the tissue around them. The joints become painful, stiff, inflamed and swollen, with severe cases often leading to joint destruction. Because it is an autoimmune disease (in which antibodies are produced that attack the body’s own tissue), RA can also affect many other organs.

The disease affects twice – maybe even three times – as many women as men, and several studies have pointed towards a relationship between RA in women and fluctuating levels of sex hormones. Interestingly, studies have shown that women who suffer from RA often feel their symptoms ease during pregnancy, when female sex hormone levels are high, while the highest incidence of RA occurs in women who are experiencing menopause, when levels of these hormones are decreasing. Many natural menopause treatment options are also geared to easing symptoms of RA.

Treatment

As there is no known cure for RA, the emphasis is on alleviating symptoms, reducing pain and inflammation, and maximizing joint function. The optimum treatment seems to be a combination of medication, exercise and patient education. For menopausal women, the use of a natural progesterone cream has also shown to help reduce symptoms and pain.

Fibromyalgia

This chronic condition causes pain, stiffness and tenderness of muscles, tendons and joints. However, although it is one of the most common diseases affecting joints and muscles, its cause is currently unknown and it is not even fully accepted as a disorder by all members of the medical community. Fibromyalgia causes no inflammation; neither does it cause damage to internal body organs (unlike other rheumatic conditions). The pain in fibromyalgia is caused by an increased sensitivity to different sensory stimuli and an unusually low pain threshold that causes these patients severe – often debilitating – pain from ordinarily minor sources. This pain is usually felt in the upper back, neck, chest, shoulders, arms and buttocks.

Along with pain, increased levels of fatigue and lack of sleep as well as emotional and mental disturbances are reported in around 50 percent of those who experience fibromyalgia. Other symptoms include severe headaches and numbness of parts of the body.

Treatment

As the symptoms vary so much between patients, treatment is given on an individual basis through customized treatment programs that combine medications with patient education, exercise and stress reduction techniques. A recent study has shown acupuncture to be useful in the treatment of fibromyalgia.