Arthritis - Symptoms

How Does Arthritis Affect the Joints?

Understanding how the disease works can help you better manage your symptoms and identify potential triggers.

How to Talk to Kids About Arthritis

Children have a strong radar for change, and if they don't know what's going on, they can easily become anxious and disturbed. Difficult as it may be, the best thing you can do is communicate information about your condition, and how it affects them, in a way that helps put their minds at ease.

The Risks of Long Term Over-the-Counter Painkiller Usage

If you live with chronic pain, you may need painkilling medications to help you make it through the day-to-day grind. However, if you rely too heavily on over-the-counter (OTC) medications, you may run the risk of developing long term and potentially deadly health risks.

5 Surprising Facts About Arthritis

When it comes to managing arthritis, knowledge is power, and a lot is known about how to treat various forms of this debilitating condition. Here are some key facts.

7 Things Not to Say to Someone in Pain (and 1 Thing You Should Say)

It can be difficult to see someone you care about suffering from pain. You want to help, but you're not sure how. So you cast about for something to say...and you end up making your loved one more upset than before. How did your comment get taken so wrongly? And what should you have said instead?

5 Common Mistakes Arthritis Patients Make

Some arthritis patients aren't doing all they can to help themselves. Do any of these utterances sound familiar?

5 Ways to Ward Off Arthritis-Related Morning Stiffness

If the sound of your alarm clock brings dread because your body won't cooperate with you, try these tips for getting yourself up and moving in the morning.

The Benefits of Strength Training for Chronic Pain

It's perfectly normal to be skeptical of lifting weights, especially if you never have or if you've always been told that you couldn't. Here, we outline how strength training can benefit those suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and common injuries.

Lose Weight and Reduce Pain: An Action Plan

Losing that excess weight and becoming active can reduce and even eliminate your pain. But how can you safely get started? Our plan will get you exercising at almost any weight and with nearly any condition.

Avoiding Nightshade Vegetables May Help Improve Arthritis

Foods from the nightshade plant family contain compounds called alkaloids which some health professionals believe can contribute to joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

Positive Thinking and Medication Efficacy

New studies find that the power of positive thinking applies to how well pain medication works.

Arthrography: What it Can Reveal About Your Joints

A physician who performs an arthrogram will be able to see how badly damaged or deteriorated a joint is and can recommend surgery or other treatment options based upon the results.

What's Causing Your Unexplained Joint Inflammation?

What does it mean when your joints get puffy and sore? If you've had an injury or accident, you know what caused it. But what if it comes out of nowhere? Here, our list for what causes unexplained joint inflammation.

How Arthritis Affects the Lungs

Because rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic illness, it can affect other parts of the body. And the lungs are one area where problems often surface.

How to Handle Arthritis-Related Bone Spurs

Bone spurs are smooth overgrowths of normal bone that can occur anywhere on your body, although they're commonly found on the spine, hips, knees, shoulders, and neck.

TMJ: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a jaw disorder that at its most basic may cause minor pain and at its most involved may include myriad overlapping conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Don't Let Chronic Pain Result in Social Isolation

When it hurts to be active, it's hard to stay connected. Read on to break free from pain's captivity.

Rheumatoid Nodules: Frequently Asked Questions

Rheumatoid arthritis can wreak havoc on many parts of the body, including the skin. This can take the form of rheumatoid nodules, bumpy growths under the skin that usually occur near an arthritic joint.

Foot and Ankle Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Arthritis of the foot and ankle can be particularly frustrating because it may hinder your ability to get around.

Foot and Ankle Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Arthritis of the foot and ankle can be particularly frustrating because it may hinder your ability to get around.

What is Lyme Arthritis?

Lyme disease has gotten a lot of press for its rising numbers over the past couple of decades. But what many people don't realize is that if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious problems such as arthritis.

Understanding Leaky Gut Syndrome

This condition is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, which allows larger-than-normal particles such as undigested food, microbes, wastes, and toxins to get into the lymphatic system or bloodstream, triggering an immune response that causes inflammation.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What's the Difference?

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are generally acknowledged to be two separate conditions, but some experts now believe they're actually part of the same underlying disorder.

Tune-In: The Healing Power of Music

The healing power of music has been well known for as long as men and women have played and enjoyed it. But does it really possess healing power for pain patients? Find out here.

Osteoarthritis and Headaches: What's the Connection?

Did you know that joint wear and tear, also known as osteoarthritis, may be the cause of some head pain?

Ankylosing Spondylitis: What Is It, Who Gets It?

Ankylosing spondylitis is an arthritic condition affecting the joints that connect the spinal bones and those that hold the pelvis and spine together.

Autoimmune Diseases: Frequently Asked Questions

In people with autoimmune disease, the immune system malfunctions and the body mistakenly attacks its own cells, causing a host of symptoms.

Sj gren's Syndrome: What Is It, Who Gets It?

This condition occurs when a person's white blood cells damage the glands that produce moisture throughout the body. Dry eyes and mouth are typical symptoms, but the disease can trigger serious malfunctions in major organs.

How to Help Your Partner Understand Your Pain

Chronic pain can take a toll on a relationship, but it's important to remember that your spouse isn't a mind reader and neither are you. Good communication is important in any marriage, but it's crucial in a partnership in which one person has a medical condition.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain-Related Sleep Problems

Poor sleep and chronic pain often go hand-in-hand. While there are a variety of treatments to help you through the night, could Cognitive Behavioral Therapy be the best bet? Find out here.
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