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ARTHRITIS, an auto immune disease
Arthritis and, What is an autoimmune disorders?
Autoimmune disorders are diseases caused by the body producing an inappropriate immune response against its own tissues. Sometimes the immune system will cease to recognize one or more of the body’s normal constituents as “self” and will create auto-antibodies – antibodies that attack its own cells, tissues, and/or organs. This causes inflammation and damage and it leads to autoimmune disorders.
The cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown, but it appears that there is an inherited predisposition to develop autoimmune disease in many cases. In a few types of autoimmune disease (such as rheumatic fever), a bacteria or virus triggers an immune response, and the antibodies or T-cells attack normal cells because they have some part of their structure that resembles a part of the structure of the infecting microorganism.
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Autoimmune disorders fall into two general types: those that damage many organs (systemic autoimmune diseases) and those where only a single organ or tissue is directly damaged by the autoimmune process (localized). However, the distinctions become blurred as the effect of localized autoimmune disorders frequently extends beyond the targeted tissues, indirectly affecting other body organs and systems. Some of the most common types of autoimmune disorders include:
Arthritis and, Other Autoimmune Diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Juvenile RA (JRA) (joints; less commonly lung, skin)
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (pancreas islets)
Lupus [Systemic Lupus Erythematosus] (skin, joints, kidneys, heart, brain, red blood cells, other)
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease (thyroid)
Scleroderma (skin, intestine, less commonly lung)
Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis (GI tract)
Sjogren's syndrome (salivary glands, tear glands, joints)
Multiple sclerosis
Goodpasture's syndrome (lungs, kidneys)
Addison's disease (adrenal)
Wegener's granulomatosis (blood vessels, sinuses, lungs, kidneys)
Primary biliary cirrhosis, Sclerosing cholangitis, Autoimmune hepatitis (liver)
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (large muscle groups)
Temporal Arteritis / Giant Cell Arteritis (arteries of the head and neck)
Guillain-Barre syndrome (nervous system)
In some cases, a person may have more than one autoimmune disease; for example, persons with Addison's disease often have type 1 diabetes, while persons with sclerosing cholangitis often have ulcerative colitis.
In some cases, the antibodies may not be directed at a specific tissue or organ; for example, antiphospholipid antibodies can react with clotting proteins in the blood, leading to formation of blood clots within the blood vessels (thrombosis).
Autoimmune disorders are diagnosed, evaluated, and monitored through a combination of autoantibody blood tests, blood tests to measure inflammation and organ function, clinical presentation, and through non-laboratory examinations such as X-rays.
In allopathic medicine, there is currently no cure for autoimmune disorders, although in rare cases they may disappear on their own. Many people may experience flare-ups and temporary remissions in symptoms, others chronic symptoms or a progressive worsening. Treatment of autoimmune disorders is tailored to the individual and may change over time. The goal is to relieve symptoms, minimize organ and tissue damage, and preserve organ function. New treatments and a greater understanding of autoimmune disorders are being researched.
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ARTHRITIS, Symptoms of
Arthritis, The disease usually begins gradually with:
•Fatigue
•Morning stiffness (lasting more than 1 hour)
•Widespread muscle aches
•Loss of appetite
•Weakness
Eventually, joint pain appears. When the joint is not used for a while, it can become warm, tender, and stiff. When the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, it gives off more fluid and the joint becomes swollen. Joint pain is often felt on both sides of the body, and may effect the wrist, knees, elbows, fingers, toes, ankle or neck.
Arthritis, Additional symptoms include:
•Anemia due to failure of the bone marrow to produce enough new red cells
•Eye burning itching and discharge
•Hand and feet deformities
•Limited range of motion
•Low-grade fever
•Lung inflammation (pleurisy)
•Numbness or tingling
•Paleness
•Round, painless nodules under the skin (usually a sign of more severe disease)
•Skin redness or inflammation
•Swollen glands
Joint destruction may occur within 1-2 years after the appearance of the disease.
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Arthritis, and Holistic, Alternative help
Why a Doctor of Naturopathy (also called Naturopath or ND)? An ND believes that within nature itself was put the power to heal. They believe that the body has the ability to heal itself. It is the practitioner's role to facilitate this natural process, not to override it. They believe that the underlying root causes of health problems must be removed, for complete inner natural health to take place. What’s the use of taking a chemical pill to do away with a symptom, if you leave all the causes in place? These root causes can exist at many levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is the practitioner's role, to help you, or your body, find these root causes. They do not look at symptoms as something that should be eradicated. Symptoms are seen as tools, the natural alarm systems, which point to specific problems somewhere else in the body. So any therapies or substances that interfere with the natural healing process, by masking these symptoms, are considered suppressive and should be avoided when possible. What’s the use of suppressing something, only to end up with another illness, worse than the first one? The natural life force of the individual should be supported to facilitate the bodies' healing power. Holistic practitioners believe that ALL the complex factors affecting a person's health and illness should always be considered together. It is NOT the role of the practitioner to diagnose, but to educate an individual, and encourage that individual to take responsibility for their own health. This cooperative relationship between practitioner and client is essential to improving health. The ultimate goal of the Naturopathic Practitioner is prevention. The emphasis is on building health, not fighting illness. This is done by fostering healthy lifestyles. Your ND does not use any chemical medications, only natural vitamins, minerals, homeopathy, and many other natural supplements. As practiced today, naturopathic healthcare integrates traditional natural therapeutics---including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, traditional oriental medicine, and many of the other therapies as mentioned here on Docshealth.com .
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