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Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that results in pain of the affected joints in the body. This condition is chronic and it usually affects the elderly in the society. There are different classifications of arthritis that depend on the part of the body or the joint, which they have affected.
Arthritis makes the joint muscles stiff and damages the joints leading to unnecessary fatigue. Arthritis is the most common case of disability among many disabled people in Australia. This is because it results in an inability to move and constrains movements of the people suffering from arthritis. Their inability to move leads to further complications such as blood pressure, obesity and eventually heart attack. Arthritis is also a major cause of depression among the elderly. Arthritis comes in different forms namely, rheumatoid arthritis, gout arthritis and osteoarthritis (VanItallie, 2010).
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It starts with a small pain when walking. The pain gradually develops into a continuous pain that occurs even when one is not moving. Osteoarthritis affects the weight bearing joints such as the spinal cord, and pelvic joint. This condition is chronic in that there is no absolute cure and only measures to prevent the condition from worsening can be put in place. It is risk factor for obesity heart attack and blood pressure conditions (Crosbie 2007). Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common form of arthritis, unlike the osteoarthritis; it is not only prevalent in the elderly but in people of all age groups especially twenty years and above. This condition involves the body's immune system turning against the body tissues and attacking them eventually causing damage to tissues of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the cartilage and eventually erodes the opposing bones. It affects joints in the fingers, knees and elbows. The condition too has no absolute cure, although when detected earlier and the patient administered with the right preventive medication, the patient can lead normal and healthy life. In children, other symptoms of this condition may include body rashes and disability which results to inability to walk or to handle items with their hands (Felson, 2007).
The other form of arthritis is the gout arthritis caused by deposits of uric acid in the joint leading to the inflammation of the joint. In early stages, it occurs only in one joint, however if it is not controlled early, it may occur in all joints. It may lead to multiple inflammation making the affected person crippled (Ali 2009). Arthritis manifests itself in a number of ways. The first is that of general tiredness where the individuals suffering from arthritis indicate that they are sufferance from malaise and general body weakness that hinders their normal movement from one place to another (Becker, 2005).
The other symptom that affects people suffering from arthritis is the inability to use hands or walk. The joint pains and morbidity of the bone tissues at the joint make it extremely hard for arthritis patient to move due to muscle strains at the stiffened joints and bones. Individuals suffering from arthritis also suffer from loss of sleep mainly due to the acute pain in the joints that make them restless. It also results in fever, muscle aches, pains and tenderness that make the bone too soft (Chan 2011). Since arthritis is a chronic disease, its mode of treatment usually uses different treatment methodologies. The first treatment methodology involves the physical therapy. This is where the patient engages in particular physical exercise recommended by the physiotherapist. Because the disease usually affects the joints, physical exercises intended to ensure that the joints remain in place and enable the patient to cope with pain.
The treatment and workouts may occur in the gym or in a place designated by the physical therapist (Applegate, 2008). The other type of treatment measure involves having medical treatment to deal with the pain. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, medication is required to stop the immune system from attacking its own body tissues (Bridges 2010).
Due to the complexity of the physical exercise equipments to assist the patients in recovery and dealing with this condition, the exercise equipment are expensive and medication quite expensive. Therefore, other forms of support for the patient suffering from this condition are necessary. The other form of support for this patient includes family therapy where the family of the patients assist the patient in physical exercise. The family also assists in meeting the medical bills of the patients (Wollenhaupt, 2008). This support is necessary, as if the patient does not have anyone or support group or community to encourage the patient to exercise the joints, the patient's condition may worsen and lead to development of other risk factors such as obesity, and heart disease.
This means that there must be lifestyle adjustments for the patients if they are going to keep the condition and its effect at its lowest (Crook 2006). The other factor which may affect the patients suffering from arthritis regard to the diet, since the chronic condition affects the joints especially osteoarthritis, it is imperative to ensure that the patients eat diets that keep them in the right shape. This is because overweight patients tend to feel more pain than those who are not overweight. The disease affects most of the weight supporting joints like the pelvic joints and the spinal joints, if the patient is overweight, the painful joints will have more stress than if the patient had normal weight (Witter, 2005). The diet factor comes in handy to assist the patients to eat healthy foods that will help them to maintain their normal weight even with reduced movements. The reduced movements may lead to obesity and heart attack if there is no alternative to assist the patient to cope with the condition. The family support is imperative in ensuring that the patients follows the nutritionist instructions on how to keep the body fit irrespective of the reduced physical exercises and movements (Swash 2007). The other support factor involves the creation of self-help groups where patients suffering from arthritis come together and share their experiences. Such forums may invite people who have recovered from arthritis and others who have managed to keep the condition at manageable levels (Vickers, 2008).
This support groups are common and they assist in building positivity in the patient by providing emotional and social support that is instrumental in recovery (Hendey, 2009). Since arthritis especially among the young people is quite traumatic, most of the patients suffer psychologically and it may cause an increase mortality rates if the patient does not receive social support (Hendey, 2009). The pain in the joints reduces social interaction and movement of the patient, without social support, the arthritis patient is likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorders such as nightmares and sleeping disturbances (Millar, 2008).
The other treatment measure involves water exercises where the patient exercises in water. The water exercises are therapeutic to arthritis patients especially patients who feel fatigued and they are unable to walk on normal conditions. Walking in water especially in warm water is more soothing and easier than walking on land. This helps the patients to keep the joints in shape without feeling extreme pain. The other physical exercise recommended to patients suffering from the arthritis involves strength training. Strength training involves engaging the body muscles and the joints in strenuous activities that will restore the joints to their normal body positions (Foltz-Gray, 2005). It may involve wrapping the joints with rubber bands and weight lifting. These excessive exercises should be in the presence of physiotherapist who will assist the patient during the exercises. Other than the physical treatments, other complimentary therapies supplement the physical therapy and help to keep the pain and other joint symptoms at bay. They involve use of natural food supplements such as fish oil, for those suffering from osteoarthritis and krill oil for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (Braun, 2009). Other food supplements include ginger, pine bark extracts, and acupuncture. They supplement the physical exercises by providing oil to the joints making it easier for the patient to move the joints with much ease (Brewer, 2009).
The other preventive measure used to deal with arthritis is the massage therapy where patients massage their bodies. The massage enables the muscles to relax. The massage is a therapeutic mechanism for the arthritis patients especially those with spinal problems. There are two types of message therapists in Australia. Remedial therapists who deal with patients who need such services and relation massage therapists who assist the patient to relax especially those who are unable to rest or sleep (Australian Association of Massage Therapists, 2012).
