06 Mar Arthritis and Chronic Inflammation
A joint is a part of our body where two or more bones join together. In many joints, there is cartilage at the ends of the bones where they connect. A healthy and durable cartilage contributes to our movement, because it allows the bones to “slide” on top of each other.
Joint pain is a common condition for many people and it is not just a condition that inevitably occurs as a consequence of aging. One of the most common causes of joint pain is Arthritis.
The term “Arthritis” indicates chronic inflammation of the joints. Inflammation is characterized by the effort which is made by our body, in order to eliminate the cause that caused a specific damage to our body.
It is an immunity mechanism in which components of white blood cells are released into damaged tissues. So, when these processes take place, the blood circulation at the site of infection is accelerated, resulting in redness and pain, swelling and a local rise in temperature. However, sometimes the inflammation still persists even when the underlying cause has been eliminated, resulting in a chronic form over the years.
Arthritis is characterized by presence of chronic inflammation.
It is classified as a chronic disease, the manifestation of which can be triggered by various mechanisms. These may be related to oxidative stress, hormonal imbalances, and deregulation of certain biochemical processes, such as methylation and glycosylation.
The forms of Arthritis
There are many different types of arthritis that affect people, such as gout, psoriatic arthritis, etc. The two main ones include Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. These two, equally, cause pain, dysfunction and ultimately destruction of the joint. All types of arthritis are caused by different causes, nevertheless their common feature is the pain of the joints and ultimately their decomposition.
According to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 5 adults suffers from Arthritis and it is predicted that there will be an upward trend in the incidence of the disease in the coming years.
It has also been suggested that the discovery of a treatment for Arthritis would prove to be more beneficial than an anti-cancer treatment, as Arthritis significantly degrades the quality of life. It has been estimated, in fact, that the treatment of Arthritis could effectively assist in further ensuring quality of life by 5 years.
The clinical signs and symptoms of Arthritis
Pain and difficulty in movement are the main features of this disease. These clinical signs and symptoms may be mild, for example a slight morning joint stiffness. However, it is not excluded that arthritis patients may experience complete suppression of mobility.
In many cases, too, the area around the joint is swollen, red or hot to the touch. The pain lasts for three days or even longer, while the possibility of fever or flu symptoms cannot be ruled out.
The real causes of Arthritis
In general, the main causes of chronic diseases, such as Arthritis, are the lack or insufficiency of enzymes, hormones and other basic biochemical components of the cells. Our body needs energy and building ingredients in order to ensure its survival, to generate new tissues and to be able to heal injuries. The nutritional status of the organism and its reserves of biochemical fuels play an important role in its overall health status, the duration and the degree of healing of a lesion.
The accumulated deficiency of these biochemical fuels (amino acids, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, etc.) can lead to a biochemical diversion of the function of our cells, resulting in the occurrence of chronic inflammation.
In addition, long-term exposure to factors such as environmental toxins, pesticides, food or environmental allergens and polluted air can result in the occurrence of medical conditions, such as chronic inflammation.
Furthermore, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, increased alcohol consumption, inadequate care of an infection or injury are aggravating factors which favor the prevalence of chronic inflammation and can lead, gradually, to the development of the major problem of Arthritis.
In conclusion, all the above-mentioned parameters significantly reduce the efficiency of our cells, thus creating a fertile ground for the presence of chronic inflammation and the outbreak of chronic diseases, such as Arthritis of all types.
The classic therapeutic approaches
Classic treatments for Arthritis are based on medication. Patients are prescribed multiple medications usually for prolonged periods of time or even for the rest of their life. However, these common therapeutic approaches, in addition to the variety of side effects they may cause, aim only at slowing down the worsening of symptoms and a temporary relief of pain.
The course of the disease is not reversed to a steady and gradual improvement, except in the transient management of pain, because the treatment aims to reduce the rate at which the joints are destroyed and to rebuild the damaged tissues.
In general, conventional therapeutic approaches for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are aimed at treating the symptoms and they are trying to stop the development of further joint damage.
The Modern Medical Approach to Arthritis
Arthritis is a chronic condition. Detecting and managing the underlying causes of the disease, as well as restoring the normal function of the body is the most essential solution for this type of situation. All this can be achieved only if we “carefully analyze” the cell.
Now, there are specialized diagnostic tests that can accurately identify the causes that contributed to the diversion of any biochemical balance and led to the onset of arthritis. Factors which are related to the prevalence of inflammation, deficiencies of enzymes, vitamins and other micro- and macronutrients are detected, while at the same time the ability of the organism to produce energy is examined.
Furthermore, adverse epigenetic factors are identified (stress, environmental toxins, etc.) which do not contribute to the proper biochemistry of the body and they can deviate the body from normal function at a cellular level.
Then, based on the diagnostic findings, appropriate medical treatments and protocols are developed, through which we have the ability to individually deal with most deficiencies and remove the toxic burden.
The treatment is developed according to the dysfunctions and deficiencies that may exist and in this way it helps to restore the biochemical balance of the organism at a cellular level.
These methods correct the deficiencies that our body may present, contribute to the restoration of patients’ health at the cellular level and aim to restore the body’s ability to effectively manage inflammation. This innovative medical approach can radically change the course of Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis and could enhance the patients’ quality of life.
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