Freedom of movement is often taken for granted until it is limited. This limited movement is usually due to arthritis or inflammation of the joints. Arthritis is of 100 types, but the two most common, but different types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis that share similar characteristics and show different symptoms.
Both conditions require different treatments as well. Let’s understand both types of arthritis in detail and find the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, their symptoms, causes, prevention and natural cures.
Osteoarthritis or OA:
Osteoarthritis or OA commonly known as wear and tear arthritis is caused due to ageing joints, obesity and injury. It is a degenerative disease, and genes are responsible for OA which leads to rapid deterioration of joints. People born with abnormalities are more prone to develop OA.
When the joint cartilage wears away it causes osteoarthritis where the bone rubs against a bone. The condition is painful, disabling and impairs the quality of life of millions of people. This type of arthritis is very common among people. This disease can damage any joint, knee, hands, hips and spine also.
Symptoms of OA are stiffness and joint pain, joint aching or soreness while any movement, pain after long intervals of inactivity, swelling of joints and bone enlargements in middle and end joints of fingers, loss of flexibility, joint tenderness etc.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA):
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease which affects the complete body and occurs when the body defends the immune system and targets the lining of joints. It affects the joints on both sides and this symmetry makes it different from other types of arthritis. It affects the non-joint structures as well, like, heart, skin, kidney, nerves, bone, marrow, eyes, etc.
Anyone can get RA and it is more common in women. It begins at mid-age, but even the elderly or children may get it. It affects everyone differently and some symptoms of RA are tender, warm and swollen joints, weight loss, fever and fatigue and stiffness in joints which is quite bad in the morning time. Rheumatoid Arthritis occurs when the lining of membranes that surrounds the joints are attacked by the immune system. This causes inflammation and destroys the bone within the joint as well as the cartilage. The tendons and ligaments become weak and stretch which are responsible to hold the joint properly and therefore the alignment and shape of the joint are lost gradually.
A few characteristics of OA and RA:
- OA usually begins later in life but RA can begin anytime in life.
- The speed of OA is slow over the years and for RA it is relatively rapid, over weeks to months.
- The arthritis symptoms of OA start from one side of the body and then it spreads to the other side. The symptoms begin gradually and limited to just one set of joints like finger joints, fingernails or thumbs, large weight-bearing joints like hips or knees or spine. RA affects large and small joints on both sides of the body like, it will affect both the wrists, elbows or balls of the feet.
- The joint may ache or be tender, but it will have little or no swelling in OA, however in RA joints are painful, swollen and stiff.
- In OA morning stiffness may last for less than an hour but it will return at the end of the day or after some activities. In RA morning stiffness may last for more than an hour or so.
- OA symptoms do not affect the complete body, but RA symptoms do and therefore one may get a general feeling of illness or frequent fatigue.
Treatment Approach:
The main goal is to find the best treatment for osteoarthritis and RA which is to improve the function, reduce the pain, and reduce the damage caused to joints. Drugs are prescribed by the doctor for both the conditions. However, you can follow some natural and effective home remedies for both the conditions listed below:
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Turmeric and ginger tea:
Both turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties and among the best home remedy for osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin which is a very powerful antioxidant and reduces swelling because it lowers the level of two enzymes that causes inflammation. You can take it in the form of a capsule or simply in the form of tea.
Ingredients and Preparation:
You will need 2 cups of water, half teaspoon of ground turmeric and ground ginger and some honey to taste.
So, boil the water, add turmeric and ginger and leave it on simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Strain the tea; add honey and you can enjoy two servings per day of this tea.
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Lifestyle and diet adjustments:
A lot of people who formerly suffered from OA claimed to find relief while adjusting their diets and lifestyle approaches. Fat is an active tissue which sits on the body and releases chemicals or hormones that causes inflammation and worsens the inflammation. Thus, losing weight will put less pressure on the joints.
Maintaining a healthy weight and adjusting the diet as well as your lifestyle will help you deal with OA as well as RA. So, if you are thinking how to cure rheumatoid arthritis naturally or OA in an efficient way, then take part in physical activities or indulge in exercise programs after consulting your doctor, so you can maintain your weight without harming the bones, muscles or tissues which can worsen the arthritis disease. Eat healthy along with exercises to get good results and it will help you stay active as well.
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Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is rich in minerals and vitamins. It is a natural home remedy for rheumatoid arthritis and OA. It is rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorous which will help the pain to subside. The antioxidants present in apple cider vinegar block the destructive effects of free radicals that are responsible for cell and tissue damage. Apple cider vinegar will help to absorb the toxins and it will be flushed out of the body. It also induces weight loss which is important for coping with the condition well.
Preparation:
- Mix one tsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of cherry juice and consume it twice a day to get rid of arthritis pain.
- Mix one cup of apple cider vinegar in six cups of warm water and submerge the painful joints in that solution for 30 minutes. It will relieve the pain.
- In eight ounces of water, mix one to three spoons of apple cider vinegar and consume it before meals (three times daily). If you do not like the flavour you can add some honey to it.
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Increase magnesium intake:
Our body needs magnesium and it is used in 300 biochemical processes of the body. However, we cannot make magnesium on our own. Magnesium helps to relax the muscles and nerve endings. It also helps the bones to mineralize apart from giving us a big relief from pain and stiffness. People with high magnesium intake have high bone density and overall strong bones.
Ways to get more magnesium:
You can use magnesium oil which gets absorbed by the body and gives relief to joints. Secondly, eat more of legumes, dark leafy vegetables and nuts that are rich in magnesium. You can also use supplements like magnesium capsules which will eventually increase the magnesium levels in the body.
There are many other natural treatments for both types of arthritis. However, these are some of the most important and easy natural methods to deal with arthritis naturally.
