Kristin Armstrong - Olympic cyclist and osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is often called the "wear and tear" arthritis. As the baby boomers age and maintain active lifestyles, osteoarthritis in on the rise. This is leading to increased numbers of joint replacements, particularly knees and hips. Doctors are also seeing younger patients needing these replacements.

What is osteoarthritis? It's the wearing down of the cartilage (material that buffers the joints) to the point that sometimes bone ends up rubbing against bone. It affects the spine, hips and knees the most often, but can affect other joints as well.

The damage and pain of osteoarthritis also hits elite athletes. Some have to give up their sport and others are able to move into another that causes less damage and pain. One of these athletes is U.S. Olympic cyclist Kristin Armstrong. You can read a bit about Kristin's story and her tips on living with osteoarthritis at Help My Hurt: Company’s calling - Olympic cyclist Kristin Armstrong talks about her osteoarthritis.

Today at Help My Hurt:

Can magnets provide pain relief?
Foot pain keeping you down?
7 ergonomic-health sites for you to finish the week
Patients happy overall in US, but pain issues still need to be addressed
Ergonomics: Be careful with non-prescription wrist supports and braces
Ergonomics: Injury prevention for computer users
Myths in ergonomics

News for Today:

Pine Bark Naturally Reduces Osteoarthritis, Lowers Joint Pain, Improves Physical Function
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Sleep Disturbance Reduced for Patients With Restless Legs Syndrome Taking Pramipexole
Cancer survivors have low levels of physical activity and high levels of obesity

Arthritis

It was interesting going through the news today; there was a good variety of information. The new drug for rheumatoid arthritis is great news: New Actemra data shows significant benefit for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis . According to the Arthritis Society, rheumatoid arthritis affects 1 out of every 100 Canadians. The effects of RA can range from mild discomfort and pain to severely affecting quality of life. RA doesn’t only affect adults, but children can have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

There are several types of arthritis, the most well-known being RA and osteoarthritis. Both affect the joints and cause pain, but they differ in terms of cause, effect, and treatment. RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system has begun to attack itself, causing the inflammation of the joint lining. The joints, most often the hands or feet, become red, swollen, and warm to touch.

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is more common than RA – it affects 1 in 10 Canadians. Rather than the inflammation caused by RA, osteoarthritis is caused by the wearing away of cartilage in the joints. As the cartilage breaks down, the bones no longer have the cushion between the bones and the bones begin to rub together. It’s often called arthritis caused by use because the joints most commonly affected by OA are the hips, knees, and spine.

If you want to learn more about arthritis, you can check out the Canadian Arthritis Society or the American Arthritis Foundation.

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