Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70 million people in the United States are afflicted with arthritis. That's one out of three Americans. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, and each brings prolonged pain and discomfort to its victims.

What can you do to get relief from arthritis pain? Many people accept arthritis as an inevitable part of the aging process. After all, the body ages and the joints naturally degenerate as the years go by. One can take steps to slow the process and keep the joints healthy, but there's nothing one can do to completely prevent the aging process. In fact, a majority of people over the age of 50 demonstrate signs of arthritis.

Living with Arthritis

That doesn't mean you have to live with the pain and sit around waiting for it to cripple you. Scientists have been working for decades to uncover ways for people to manage arthritis. Fortunately scientists and researchers are human beings and they understand the inevitability of the body breaking down. Therefore, they have a personal stake in finding ways to manage arthritis.

Perhaps that's why so many advancements have been made over the years concerning arthritis. With a combination of exercise, healthy diet, weight management, and medication, arthritis can effectively be managed. People with arthritis are able to live comfortably for decades because they have found a healthy combination of the abovementioned things.

In many cases, arthritis requires surgery, even complicated reconstructive surgery that calls for extensive rehabilitation. Unfortunately, that's the only option many people have to get relief from arthritis pain. Ideally, however, after the age of 40, one should consciously monitor the body's signals. You should do that all the time, but, in the case of arthritis, be cognizant of the joints. If you're starting to develop pain, discomfort, or inflammation in any of your joints, consult your doctor.

You Are Not Alone

Ignoring the pain will not make it go away. Getting used to the pain is unnecessary. My mother has mild arthritis in her right wrist and it has remained mild for some time because she and her doctor created a plan to combat it. She lives a normal, healthy life and continues working in an active, leadership role that often requires used of that wrist (typing, writing letters, delivering lectures). She has no problem dealing with her arthritis because she was intelligent enough to address it early.

Unfortunately, arthritis is a chronic disease that will be with you for the remainder of your life. Don't feel bad or inferior or unfortunate. Almost everyone who lives past the age of 60 will have to contend with arthritis. If you have arthritis or think you have arthritis, you have millions and millions of people all over the world who can relate to you.

If you can find a way to manage your arthritis without the use of drugs or surgery, explore that option first. There are organic, natural ways to manage arthritis. Many of these products and methods have emerged in recent years due to an increased interest in natural medicine. People are discovering the power of Mother Nature, that her products are as effective, if not more effective, than the expensive drugs generated by drug companies.