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Healthy Weight Loss Diets |
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Cardiovascular Health, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Triglycerides,
Acid Reflux,
Heartburn, High
Blood Pressure, Hypoglycemia, Irritable
Bowel, Menopause, Arthritis,
Rheumatoid Arthritis,
Reduce Cholesterol.
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What is Arthritis
The two most common forms of the disease, osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid
arthritis, have the greatest public health implications, according to
the Arthritis Foundation. (For more on causes of joint pain, see
"Other Forms of Arthritis and Related Conditions.")
Osteoarthritis, previously known as "degenerative joint
disease," results from the wear and tear of life. The pressure of
gravity--the load of living--causes physical damage to the joints and
surrounding tissues, leading to pain, tenderness, swelling, and
decreased function. Initially, osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory and its
onset is subtle and gradual, usually involving one or only a few joints.
The joints most often affected are the knee, hip and hand. Pain is the
earliest symptom, usually made worse by repetitive use. Osteoarthritis
affects more than 20 million people, and the risk of getting it
increases with age. Other risk factors include joint trauma, obesity,
and repetitive joint use.
Although the term literally means joint
inflammation, arthritis really refers to a group of more than 100
rheumatic diseases and conditions that can cause pain, stiffness and
swelling in the joints. Certain conditions may affect other parts of the
body--such as the muscles, bones, and some internal organs--and can
result in debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening, complications.
If left undiagnosed and untreated, arthritis can cause irreversible
damage to the joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the
body's own immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium (cell lining
inside the joint). This chronic, potentially disabling disease causes
pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of function in the joints.
While the cause remains elusive, doctors suspect that genetic factors
are important in rheumatoid arthritis. Recent studies have begun to
tease out the genetic characteristics that can be passed from generation
to generation. However, the inherited trait alone does not cause the
illness. Researchers think this trait, along with some other unknown
factor--probably in the environment--triggers the disease.
But rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose early because it
may begin gradually with subtle symptoms. According to CDC, this form of
arthritis affects more than 2 million people in the United States, and
two to three times more women are affected than men.
Total Body Fitness has
designed thousands of specialized programs specifically for people with
Arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis conditions. If you have been
diagnosed with arthritis by your physician take control over your
condition and let us help you!
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