Don’t let arthritis become a pain this National Arthritis Week

Monday 12 October happened to be both World Arthritis Day and the first day of National Arthritis Week 2015, which will be running until Sunday 18 October.

The awareness week is organised by the charity Arthritis Research UK and is used as an effective way to highlight the huge day-to-day impact that arthritis has for those with it, in addition to providing their friends and family, information to successfully manage the condition.

As a long-term provider of a wide range of treatments for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis such as brufen (ibuprofen), celebrex (celecoxib), diclofenac, naproxen, etc., at Medical Specialists® Pharmacy we are fully aware and sympathetic to arthritis sufferers; the pain associated with the condition can be excruciating, constant and cause otherwise ‘simple’ tasks in life, difficult to perform.

However, Arthritis Research UK want people to use National Arthritis Week as an opportunity to share their story to help boost awareness about what exactly it is like to live with the invisible pain of arthritis, in the hope that one day, people will be able to enjoy a life without pain.

In the UK alone, there are an estimated 10 million people with arthritis. There are many different types of arthritis (such as ankylosing spondylitis, gout, lupus, etc.), but the two most common types of arthritis by far are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis

  

Osteoarthritis afflicts 8 million people in the UK, making it the most common form of the condition. It is most prevalent in people over the age of 50 years of age, but can occur in younger people, following injury or another joint-related condition. The joints that are most commonly affected are those in the hands, hips, knees and spine.

Movement can prove difficult as osteoarthritis begins to impact the smooth cartilage lining of the join resulting in pain and stiffness. The cartilage can then thin, and tissues within the joint may become more active, causing swelling and the development of small bony spurs, called osteophytes. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage (connective tissue) between bones withers away, causing the bones to rub against one another.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Over 400,000 people are believed to suffer with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK. The condition tends to arise when a person is between the ages of 40 and 50, with women three times more likely to have it.

Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis differ due to the fact rheumatoid arthritis arises as the body's immune system impacts the affected joints, resulting in the pain and swelling. 

The first area often affected is the outer covering (synovium) of the joint, before spreading across the joint, with the shape of the joint altered as the swelling increases. The bone and cartilage are then eroded. Those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis are also susceptible to other problems related to tissues and organs.

It is not just in Britain that the problem is prevalent though - arthritis and other types of musculoskeletal pain are in fact common, global problems that can impact any person irrespective of age (children can develop arthritis), sex, ethnicity or job.

Arthritis Research UK provide the funding for around 20 grants that have a combined value of about £6 million, dedicated to the research into understanding the cause of pain and attempting to develop new therapies and drugs to treat it.

Symptoms of arthritis

The symptoms of arthritis that people will experience can vary according to the specific type of arthritis he or she has, so therefore it is crucial to receive an accurate diagnosis if you suffer with one or more of the following symptoms:

•     Difficult moving a joint.
•     Fatigue.
•     Inflammation in and around the joints.
•     Joint pain, tenderness and stiffness.
•     Muscle weakness.
•     Poor sleep.
•     Warm, red skin over the affected joint.
•     Weight loss.

Treatment of arthritis

Unfortunately, there is no definitive/outright cure for arthritis, however health experts often recommend a good intake of omega 3 fats as they can prevent or subside symptoms, as the fats help to reduce inflammation. Moreover, Vitamin D – also known as “the sunshine vitamin” - can help to prevent rheumatoid arthritis. Excellent Vitamin D-containing foods include fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon and tuna. In addition, there are many arthritis treatments provided by Medical Specialists® that can be taken to slow down the condition.

For osteoarthritis, painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, celebrex (celecoxib), diclofenac and brufen (ibuprofen), and corticosteroids, are usually prescribed. However, revolutionary osteoarthritis treatment flexiseq gel has also proved highly popular with patients of Medical Specialists® since the pharmacy started to provide it almost 2 years ago. The gel is remarkably free of any drug – meaning there are none of the side-effects of oral painkillers - and dries onto the skin, travelling into the affected joint(s) to reduce pain and restore mobility in the joint(s). Flexiseq gel may be particularly beneficial to those that don’t like to take tablets, or struggle to swallow them.

For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the primary focus is limiting the progress of the condition as well as limiting the damage to the affected joints. The treatments usually include analgesics (painkillers), disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), regular exercise and physiotherapy.

Arthritis pain causes workers to take off 40 sick days each year

Arthritis sufferers are in so much pain that they take six times more sick days off work in comparison to their healthier colleagues, according to new estimates.

The British Society for Rheumatology, a professional charity organisation that is made up of numerous health care experts, specialises in rheumatoid and musculoskeletal medical and long term conditions, and they say that arthritis patients are typically forced to take 40 days every year because of their symptoms.

Over nine million people in the UK are believed to be suffering with arthritis, of which there are over 200 different types, including gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis in an autoimmune disease which is estimated to be affecting over 580,000 people across England and Wales, more frequently prominent in women than men. Rheumatoid arthritis treatment is available today from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy, and includes the recently added non-prescription revolutionary product Flexiseq Gel, clinically proven to reduce pain and restore mobility in the afflicted joint(s).

The condition ranges from mild to severe, and can make joints swell, feel stiff and even cause you to feel generally unwell and tired. As rheumatoid arthritis can be incredibly painful to live with, movement and simple everyday tasks can prove troublesome, as shown with the fact so many of us are being forced to take time off work due to the symptoms.

In fact, so debilitated by their excruciating symptoms, around one in seven people with rheumatoid arthritis are forced to quit work altogether just a year following their diagnosis, the British Society for Rheumatology said.

Therefore, the society have now launched its ‘Simple Tasks’ campaign which aims to raise awareness about the “significant effects” of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Professor Simon Bowman, president of the society, said: “There is considerable evidence that if people are treated within 12 weeks of rheumatoid arthritis symptom onset, it dramatically reduces the likelihood of long-term damage. Treating patients with these conditions early can enable people to continue doing the things that are important to them such as keeping a job, remaining independent, raising their children.”

In addition, a new survey conducted by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and 2020Health that involved 2,000 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, discovered as many as 89% are also battling chronic fatigue in addition to the more obvious pain and swelling.

The survey found that despite so many afflicted with fatigue, only half had raised the problem with their specialist nurse or rheumatologist.

Smoking cause over 30% of severe rheumatoid arthritis cases

Smoking cigarettes and cigars is thought to behind more than 30% of all cases of severe rheumatoid arthritis, research suggests. It is also to blame for more than 50% of cases in people who are genetically predisposed to developing the debilitating condition, a Swedish study found.

Around 350,000 people in the UK are affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is an autoimmune disease which occurs when the body's immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing them to become red, swollen, inflamed and painful. It is three times more common in women than men.

In the study, more than 1,200 Swedish men and women with RA, and 871 without the condition were questioned about their smoking habits. They were then grouped according to how long they had smoked. Blood samples were also taken to measure levels of anticitrullinated protein/peptide antibody (ACPA), a marker for disease severity, and to assess the participants’ genetic profile for susceptibility to RA.

The findings showed that the heaviest smokers were more than 2.5 times as likely to test positive for ACPA. A heavy smoker was defined as someone who had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for at least 20 years. Among those who had a genetic predisposition to the disease, and who tested positive for ACPA, smoking accounted for more than half the cases (55 per cent). Those who smoked the most had the highest risk. They  also found that the risk of RA fell for people who had quit smoking, the longer they had given up smoking. However, among the heaviest smokers, the risk was still relatively high, even after 20 years of not having smoked.

Based on these figures, the researchers calculated that smoking accounted for 35 per cent of ACPA positive cases, and one in five cases of rheumatoid arthritis, overall.

Although the risk of RA from smoking is not as high as for lung cancer, where smoking accounts for 90 per cent of cases, it is similar to that for coronary artery heart disease, said the researchers. The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said other environmental factors may add to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, including air pollutants and hormonal factors. But they suggest that their findings are sufficient to prompt those with a family history of rheumatoid arthritis to be advised to give up smoking.

The above findings are published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

If you or your partner are worried about smoking and the effects it could be having on you or your family there are options available. Firstly a visit to your local GP is in order for advice and guidance on how to stop smoking.

 

There also may be a local NHS Stop Smoking Services, which could give you the extra support you need to quit.

There are also treatments widely available on the market today such as Champix the smoking cessation treatment. If you would like further information on where to buy Champix online please visit www.medical-specialists.co.uk