Degenerative Joint Disease - What It Is and How It Is Treated

It's a sad fact that all dog owners have to face. Our beloved pets are going to get old someday, and with age come inherent health problems such as degenerative bone disease, or what is better known as arthritis. With the right nutrition from birth this risk dramatically decreases, but that's not always the case. Some breeds, such as large breeds, are more prone to bone problems than others are. However, there are ways to effectively manage and treat it and keep the symptoms at bay via natural treatment options and medications.

Dog arthritis is probably as common in middle-aged and elderly dogs as it is in people. The degenerative nature of the disease begins when the joints, which are normally smooth and covered in cartilage makes moving the joints easy and pain-free. When this cartilage begins to wear down with age, the bone surfaces are exposed to the bones around it and can rub against each other, which results in swelling, inflammation, and pain when the affected joint is moved.

Most dogs are affected by some type of wear and tear arthritis as they enter their senior years, but there is also a form of juvenile arthritis that affects some younger dogs due to a genetic factor. There are ways that you can spot arthritis or at least begin seeing the signs of it, these include:

• Joints that are tender and swollen: check the knees, hips, and elbows for signs of tenderness.

• You may be able to hear a cracking or grinding sound when your dog walks or gets up from a laying down position.

• Your dog may have trouble getting up when he or she is laying down.

• You may notice your dog is reluctant to do things he always did in the past, such as climb a flight of stairs.

• Lameness in any of the legs.

Your veterinarian will use several diagnostic tools to make the diagnosis and begin a treatment plan. First, x-rays will be performed of the suspected joints as well as the spine, since it is often hard to tell if your dog has arthritis of the spine. Once the diagnosis is established, a treatment plan will get underway, which will include:

Weight loss: if your dog is just two pounds overweight, this can be a significant amount of extra weight for him or her to carry and therefore, losing weight will help ease the pain.

Regular and gentle exercise will keep the joints moving and make it less painful for your dog to move more freely

Anti-inflammatory drugs that they have available for dogs today are called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs such as Rimadyl can help to significantly reduce the inflammation and some dogs respond very well to these newer medications, but some do have side effects and cannot tolerate them, depending on how sensitive they are to the drugs.

You can add glucosamine and MSM to your dog's diet as these are natural anti-inflammatories and glucosamine can actually help to build more cartilage naturally.

Arthritis and Its Types

It is one of the diseases having a painful effect. It has a far-reaching impact on most people who either have themselves or their family members affected by this disease. Literally Arthritis is a term given to joint inflammation. However in the biological world this term is used for hundreds of diseases. These diseases can affect your ligaments muscles tendons and bones causing stiffness, swelling and massive pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the common types of this disease.

When the diseases takes place on the common joint causing degenerative effect the arthritis is known as osteoarthritis. This is a common type of arthritis and has already affected more than 20 million of US population. In this type the main targeted portion is the cartilage. If you are having this disease you will find that the outer cartilage layer gets broken down. It causes reduction of cushion in the bones and they start rubbing against each other. This leads to a loss in motion for the particular joint involved alongside swelling and pain. Spurs start growing at the edges of the joint. Following that it is seen that the spurs start to break off and float in the joint itself. This causes further damage and more pain. Such arthritis form can only have an affect on your joints.

Another common arthritis form which has more than couple of million of US population currently affected with it is the rheumatoid arthritis. Unlike osteoarthritis this form of arthritis is not limited to joint you would find it affecting heart nerves blood eyes skin and other parts of our body. It is actually an inflammation characterized by symmetry. This means that if one of the joints are affected you would find the joint parallel to that also getting affected.

This is why it is quite simple to detect this form of arthritis. Other symptoms of the disease include swelling and pain in joint alongside stiffness inactivity and fatigue. People having rheumatoid arthritis have rheumatoid factor. However it has little or no use if you are trying to diagnose this disease. Apart from rheumatoid arthritis there are a number of other diseases which can have rheumatoid factor. If you see any of the symptoms of the two arthritis types you should consult a rheumatologist today.

Trigeminal Neuralgia - The Worst Pain Known To Man?

My Story

I first suffered from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN or tic douloureux) in 1995 when I was 28. At this time I didn't have a clue what the pain was that I was suffering from. I was in the RAF and had just returned from a tour of duty in the Falkland Islands. During this period I had the odd twinge, but in no way could this be described as pain. On my return the pain increased, so I went to see many dental specialists in the RAF. I was treated with root canal treatment, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. For this the dental technicians made me a couple of splints for my bottom teeth. These were 1 and 2mm in thickness. I wore them for approximately 6 months, but unfortunately they made no difference, as I wasn't suffering from it. The intense pain affected an area on the right hand side of my face from the chin to below the right ear.

None of the treatment that went on for about 18 months proved successful because at this time they didn't know what I was suffering. The pain got so intense and my job didn't help as I worked on nights as a radio operator. Part of my job was to wear head phones, these only made the problem worse. Talking was difficult, eating was hard and life wasn't too pleasant. Temazepam did no good either, the pain was the worst I had ever suffered.

The turning point in my condition came a year after leaving the RAF when I discovered the Internet. I went to Google and typed in 'intense facial pain' and waited for the results to come back. I found all sorts of links, but one of the sites listed struck me. I went there and the symptoms described were very similar to what I was suffering. The pain is best described as a bolt of lightning shooting through one side of the face. The pain is intense, perhaps in my case going on for a few minutes at a time. There was very little that could be done to halt the onslaught. Direct pressure over the area had some affect, but didn't take the pain away.

The triggers for the pain can be as mundane as brushing your teeth, a breath of wind or simply talking. Winter and its icey winds were a lot worse than summer warmth. But by far the worst offender is eating. Eating can be a nightmare, during the worst episodes it wasn't uncommon to lose weight. I wouldn't waste my time eating things like apples, lettuce and other food that didn't contain any calories. While to most people these foods are fine, to a TN sufferer like me these are foods best avoided, otherwise you will lose weight. When driving a car even the road surface would have an affect on whether the pain kicked in or not. Even when there was no pain, it was sitting there in the background waiting for the trigger to release its latest onslaught of ultra pain - imagine tooth ache, only 10 times worse! - honest.

Having found what I thought was the problem I was suffering from I took my findings to Goole Hospital. The Ears, Nose and Throat specialist confirmed what I thought and he prescribed me Tegretol. Almost immediately I felt some relief from the pain. Initially my dosage was kept low until I was on the high end of the dosage. The problem I found with Tegretol was memory loss, and a general feeling of 'fuzziness'. I couldn't come off them as the pain was too intense, but they were becoming less and less useful to my condition. Sometimes, dependent on the dose I took that day, and the amount of food I ate I had a feeling of slight overdose - dizzy isn't the word. It only happened a couple of times, and it wasn't pleasant.

The specialist at Goole referred me to a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Hull Royal. Here I had an MRI brain scan in the Hull Royal Scan Unit, this confirmed, and gave a better indication of what was going on. Armed with my scans I then went to see one of the Neurologists at the hospital. He thought it be a good idea if I was admitted as soon as possible for an operation to numb the pain. I was admitted into hospital on the Monday morning a month later.

Radio Frequency Coagulation Operation

The operation I was going to have was a Radio Frequency Coagulation. This is administ

Put an End to TMJ Pain With Alternative Cures to Jaw Clenching and Common Symptoms of TMJ

There really is nothing good about suffering from jaw clenching. Grinding or gnashing your teeth at night while you sleep can even result in the possibility of a tooth being cracked. The good news is that there are natural and safe alternatives that offer a real chance either easing the pain it can cause or permanently curing and getting rid of your jaw clenching. If you suffer from this problem or are not happy with current and more traditional methods used for treating it, you may want to take a look at what natural alternatives may be able to do for you and your problem.

You are not alone if you suffer from TMJ or jaw clenching. A whopping 1 million plus people currently suffer from it and the sad thing is that most of these people don't even know that something is wrong. Can you imagine going through your day suffering the discomfort and pain caused by jaw clenching being completely unaware that you have a problem that it can actually be cured? These people live their lives in the dark and just have to put up with the agony never knowing that help is out there.

One of the most common ways dentists treat TMJ is by recommending patients to use a mouth guard while they sleep. This really isn't a treatment and instead it just stops you from clenching your teeth at night while you sleep. This provides no relief or cure for the common symptoms and pain you feel because of TMJ. What it does do is help to protect your teeth, which is at least some kind of help for sufferers. You may also find that you suffer from migraines, neck and facial pain along with a wide variety of other problems because of your TMJ. A mouth guard won't help alleviate any of these symptoms and you will have to try something else.

Some natural ways to actually cure the problem forever that go beyond your dentist giving you a mouth guard include changes in what you eat, your sleeping environment, daily exercises, chiropractic care, stress relief, hypnosis and much, much more. There really are a wide range of alternative treatments out there and you may have to look beyond what your dentist suggests, as it goes beyond the field of their expertise. Just which natural treatment is right for you will depend on your personal situation and symptoms you are currently suffering from. However, the good news is that real natural alternatives to curing TMJ do exist and offer a glimmer of hope for sufferers.

Arthritis Knee Pain Relief

Osteoarthritis or simply called knee arthritis is a kind of arthritis that is caused by the breakdown and collapsing of the cartilage. Cartilage is the protective layer between the two joints. It occurs mostly in old males aged 45. There are two causes of knee arthritis; the primary and secondary osteoarthritis. If the cause of arthritis is unknown, it is said to be the earliest. It is related to aging. When a person gets old, the cartilage degenerates also thus; causes the friction of the joints. On the other hand, secondary osteoarthritis is caused by the risk factor condition like obesity, joint surgery, gout, and trauma. A severe joint pain is the symptoms of this kind of arthritis.

The joint pain from knee arthritis is unbearable and might prevent you from doing your normal activities. Knee arthritis pain relief is needed. Apirin and acetaminophen may be enough treatment for mild osteoarthritis. Among the two medicines, acetaminophen is most preferred because it has less side-effect especially to the elderly people. Topical pain relieving cream may also be applied like capsaicin and methyl salicylate. New medications include Voltaren gel and Flector Patch. Both are anti-inflammatory. There are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and nabumetone. These types of medicines have side-effects, which can be very uncomfortable. Alternative medicine for knee arthritis is available. It includes supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. A shot of cortisone too may give an effective relief.

In addition to the above medication, weight reduction and stress free lifestyle is advised. Exercise is a helpful activity. It strengthens muscles and bones that support the joints. Exercises suited for this pain are swimming, walking, stationary cycling, and very light weight training.

Above all, resting is the most effective way of treating sore knee joints just physically but emotionally as well.

A visit for doctor's consultation is needed when symptoms persist. There are a lot of medications available for the relief of knee arthritis. Do not sacrifice things from a single pain. Give attention to the early signs and symptoms of knee arthritis and any other abnormalities in your body. Prevention is always better than cure.

What Causes Knee Snapping?

When you're working out, or playing your favorite sport, a snapping sensation within your knee can cause pain and frustration, and can lead to buckling or giving way, falling, and eventually, damage to the cartilage surfaces of the joint. The snap results when some structure within the joint is momentarily caught between the moving bones, tension is applied and is then suddenly released, much like plucking a guitar string.

The three most common causes for the painful snap are synovial flaps, torn menisci and loose bodies.

The most frequent source of snapping is a synovial flap or plica. The inside of every synovial joint is lined by a normally thin and pliant membrane, called synovium. Synovium produces a drop or two of joint fluid, which nourishes the articular cartilage and provides lubrication for the joint surfaces. This membrane often has a few small thin folds, left over from embryonic development, which can grow larger, thicker and stiffer to become larger structures, fibrous flaps or shelves, that get can get caught and stretched between the moving parts.

Pain is caused by traction, pulling on the nerves of the surrounding tissues, and the snap is due to the sudden release of tension, when it breaks free.

A torn meniscus can also cause a snap. The two tough, crescent-shaped meniscal fibrocartilages, medial (inner side) and lateral (outer side), that cushion and guide the knee, are often torn in athletic activities, especially the sudden twisting or cutting maneuvers in soccer, football, or basketball.

But tears can also occur by degeneration, just from getting older. Here, the substance of the cartilage becomes softer and begins to shred and fragment, eventually evolving into a tear, especially when repetitively crushed as with deep squatting. The meniscus tear fragment, like the flap of synovium, can displace and get caught between the moving femur and tibia, causing pain by traction, like a hangnail does, then snap when suddenly released.

Loose bodies are little pieces of cartilage and/or bone that are knocked out with trauma, fall out from a joint surface due to disease (osteochondritis dessicans), or are actually grown, like pearls, within the synovial membrane (synovial chondromatosis/osteochondromatosis), and then break free inside the joint. Like the synovial flaps and meniscal tears, these fragments can get caught between the moving parts.

Regardless of cause, significant snapping within the knee is always abnormal and needs to be addressed.

Above all, don't ignore it. You want to identify the source with an accurate diagnosis and prevent permanent damage to the joint. But in the short term, you can try some conservative measures to try to resolve the snapping.

Here's what you can do:

1. STOP whatever activity causes painful, recurrent snapping.

2. REST the knee in extension, that is, out straight. Every snap can potentially damage the articular cartilage, so that can be prevented by avoiding, or minimizing joint motion.

3. Apply moist HEAT a few times a day, for 15-20 minutes each time. If the snapping is of sudden onset, apply ICE for the first 48 hours, THEN begin to apply heat.

4. Try some OTC anti-inflammatory (NSAID), like Advil (2 tabs, 4X/day) or Aleve (2 tabs, 2X/day), provided you have no stomach problems, like ulcers, or a history of GI bleeding, and be sure to take it WITH FOOD OR MILK. If inflammation has caused a synovial plica to swell and thicken, this regimen should shrink it, by reducing inflammation.

5. If you don't get relief within a few days to a week, then it's probably not from acute inflammation and the snapping structure is now fibrous tissue, or cartilage, which will not shrink, even with reduced inflammation. Then, you need to SEE AN ORTHOPAEDIST, for definitive evaluation and treatment. Don't be afraid--it's what you DON'T know that will hurt you and no one can force you to have surgery. But if someone is trained to DO surgery when it's needed, then you will be getting a complete picture of your condition, including ALL your options.

6. If you don't see a doctor at this point, the repetitive snapping of an internal derangement can damage the articular cartilage of the joint and eventually result in arthritis. Therefore, if conservative treatments fail to promptly relieve pain and snapping, to prevent permanent joint damage, arthroscopic surgery is usually required, to remove the source of the snapping.

Total Hip Replacement Versus Hip Resurfacing

Ageing is an inevitable as well as irreversible process. As we advance to our ripe ages, several physical problems infest our bodies. One of them is malfunctioning of our bones. They lose their flexibilities after the prolonged service and manifest their problems in a myriad of ways. The ageing people often face the problem of hip joint disorders. When such problem takes a severe turn, the total replacement becomes a pressing need.

Not only the aged persons but also the younger ones may suffer from this problem due to any massive injury. Often people tend to ignore such problems at early stage and avoid consulting with the physicians. Such negligence aggravates the problem and then either the total hip replacement or hip resurfacing seems to be the only option to cure the patients.

In the medical jargon, the total hip replacement is termed as 'arthroplasty'. This surgical way involves a very strenuous and therefore, the women and aged persons are not suggested to undergo this operation. Even a middle aged person without a stout figure should not go for such a surgery.

In the total hip replacement procedure, the two parts of the hips and the socket get replaced with the metallic or plastic cups to provide them the previous flexibility. Any of this hip replacement procedure is helpful in getting the patients relieved of their pains and rid of the rigidness in the bones. Hip resurfacing is regarded as the best alternative to the total hip replacement. An experienced orthopedics can only suggest which one of them is the best for a typical individual. Though such physical disorder is the most common problem experienced by the aged people but they can manage to thwart the invasion of this disease by maintaining a healthy routine and going through a little bit of physical exercises as prescribed by an expert. Therefore, prevention of hip breakdown is always better than any surgical procedure of healing the ailment.

The hybrid technique which amazingly amalgamates the two procedures namely total hip replacement and hip resurfacing is done in accordance with the severity in the joint disorder problem. Such technique ensures the speedy recovery for the patients along with the assurance of the extended life span of the hip-joints.

In case of the hip resurfacing, a long incision along with a large dissection of muscles is to be done. On the contrary, in the process of the total hip replacement, a minor incision is to be done causing a lesser blood loss and requiring the patients stay for a shorter period in the hospital.