Inflammatory Arthritis - Blog Pinker - World News Blog Website and Articles

Inflammatory Arthritis

Friday, 08 June 2007

The word arthritis is derived from 'arth' meaning joint and 'itis' meaning inflammation. While there are over 100 different types of arthritis, they all have one thing in common -- inflammation of the joints or tissue around the joints. In other words, all types of arthritis can be considered inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury. Whenever something within or outside the body is injured, it responds with an inflammatory response such as redness, swelling, heat and pain.

When a joint becomes inflamed, it may present with all of the above, or it may be a minor nuisance. Our body consists of 206 bones, connected by more than 100 joints. Most of the major bone connections (shoulders, elbows, hips, wrists and knees) are joints designed to provide us with a broad range of motion. Hips and shoulders are connected with a ball-and-socket joint. The thumbs are connected with a saddle joint. Fingers and knees are connected with hinge joints; and our wrists are connected with pivot joints. As you can see, arthritis has many opportunities to set-up its home.

The bones of joints are capped with a smooth substance called cartilage. This elastic material is similar to the shock absorbers on your automobile. Its purpose is to provide your body with a smoother ride. This cartilage also acts as a protective sheath and allows the bone ends to glide smoothly across each other. If the cartilage is destroyed; the bones of the joint grind against each other and cause pain and inflammation.

Between the bones is a joint cavity or space. This cavity provides space for bones to move as you perform daily activities. The space is enclosed by a flexible, yet strong, capsule that is designed to protect the joint against dislocation. The capsule has an inner lining call the synovium. The synovium produces a thick fluid used to lubricate and provide nourishment to the joint.

In inflammatory arthritis, the synovium becomes inflamed and thickened, causing it to produce extra fluid which contains inflammatory cells. If inflammatory cells are continually produced, the cartilage and underlying bone can be permanently damaged.

Certain foods are known to cause an over-production of cytokines (communication cells within the brain). An excess amount of cytokines can lead to inflammation and cause arthritis symptoms to worsen. Eliminating these cytokine-producing foods can help inflammatory arthritis sufferers better manage their symptoms by reducing inflammation within the body.

Foods known to increase cytokine production and increase inflammation include:

* Most meat, except oily fish
* Dairy products (milk, ice cream, cheese)
* Egg yolks
* Gluten (found in wheat, oats, barley and rye)
* Corn, corn oil, and corn syrup
* Sugar, flour and processed foods
* Nightshade vegetables (white potatoes, tomatoes, all peppers, cherries, tobacco, and eggplants)
* Coffee and Alcohol

Changing your diet to include fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, grains, and essential fatty acids can significantly improve inflammatory arthritis symptoms. Additionally, adding dietary supplements (vitamins and minerals); can further assist in reducing inflammation and pain.

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