Arthritis Health Center on WebMD




Arthritis Foundation of Eastern Missouri


A Holistic Approach to Arthritis
What is Arthritis? What are some of the causes associated with Arthritis?
What can I do to prevent and/or treat Arthritis? Arthritis is a general term that refers to a condition that causes pain, swelling or inflammation in any single or a group of joints in the body.
 
Common types of Arthritis are:
-Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease)
-Rheumatoid arthritis (an inflammatory disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue)
-Gout (usually affecting small joints in the hands and feet)
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) an estimated 46 million adults in the United States reported their doctor diagnosed them with some form of arthritis. By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans will have been diagnosed with arthritis by a doctor as reported by the Arthritis & Rheumatism journal.
Despite the classification of arthritis into broad categories, Western Medicine is still unsure of the cause. Potential causes and contributing factors of various types of arthritis can include: obesity, free radicals, imbalanced hormones, nutrient deficiencies, Diet and food allergies, biomechanical changes, and insulin resistance/deficiency.
Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) are commonly used to control pain and inflammation. However, these treatments can potentially cause multiple side effects such as stomach ulcers, infections such as shingles, pneumonia and rashes, liver and kidney dysfunction, clot formation, osteoporosis, fatigue and malaise to name a few. Interestingly, long term use of anti-inflammatory drugs can hasten joint destruction, as they take the cue of pain your body has sent to alert you of harm and silence it. At Preventive Medicine we take a functional/holistic medicine approach to arthritis by examining the core clinical imbalances that underlie various disease conditions. Through a series of tests, I will be able to determine a plan to help you heal; eliminate infections, replace nutrients, balance hormones, detoxify your body and teach you a lifestyle of proper nutrition and stress management. We also employ additional tools such as NAET (an allergy elimination technique) and low level laser therapy to heal an inflamed or injured joint. Healing the body can be achieved by eliminating or decreasing your need for prescription medications.

This is article is on STLHealth.com courtesy of Dr. Varsha Rathod & Preventive Medicine. 
 
Dr. Varsha Rathod is a Board Certified Rheumatologist and Internist at  Preventive Medicine in the Westport Plaza area of St. louis, MO. The Practice has focused on a combination of traditional and holistic medicine since 1967.

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