Not all pain is postural but may be due to an underlying cause such as arthritis. Even if arthritis is the source of pain it does not mean you have to just put up with it. For all forms of arthritis there are treatment and management options which can make a big difference in function and quality of life.
Yesterday I attended a great seminar which covered recent advances in treatment options for two of the more potentially severe forms of arthritis, namely rheumatoid arthritis (RA)and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). There are over 100 forms of arthritis, the most common being osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a 'wear and tear' arthritis and tends to occur more commonly in the large weight bearing joints such as hips and ankles although it can occur in any other joint. Whereas RA and AS are 'inflammatory' forms of arthritis which means they are caused by a process of inflammation of the joints or soft tissue rather than mechanical wear and tear.
Rheumatoid arthritis falls into the class of 'autoimmune' diseases where the body's defence mechanisms go awry and start to attack healthy tissue. The disease is twice as common in women than men and tends to appear between the ages of 35-64 years, the prime years of working and looking after a family. RA affects 2.5 people per hundred. (Australian statistics)
Ankylosing Spondylosis, on the other hand, is three times more common in men than women and usually first appears between the ages of 15-40 years. AS is characterised by marked stiffness of the spine but affects any point in the body where tendons and muscles attach to bone. AS affects between 1-2 people per hundred.
Each form of arthritis has a different pattern and treatment regime, particularly in regard to appropriate drug therapy. However, an accurate early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is of huge benefit in limiting the effects.
In the past, both AS and RA did not always respond well to treatment. The good news is that in recent years a new class of drugs has been developed which can have very beneficial effects, allowing people with RA or AS to stay much more active and experience much reduced debilitating pain. The downside is the cost of these drugs so there are strict criteria for their use.
In all forms of arthritis exercise plays an important role, but exercise, like drug treatment needs to be, the right type, the right amount, and the right frequency, which is where physiotherapists/physical therapists become involved.
The other fantastic thing I took away from the seminar is how much the medical profession (or at least the rheumatology side of things) has embraced patient participation in the decision making and management of their conditions. Alleluia!
However, good quality information is vital. There are many charlatans promising miracle cures, or individuals who have been helped by a particular therapy who become the messiah for that particular treatment which may be totally unsuitable for someone else. Even medical websites and studies can be subtly biased if they are sponsored by drug companies or other commercial interests (as was this seminar!)so any potential bias needs to be taken into account when reading information.
So where do you start looking if you or a family member is diagnosed with arthritis? Of course, your health care practitioner is a good primary source but often you need more time to digest information or keep up to date. I would recommend the various non-profit arthritis foundations as a good source of information that is up to date, unbiased, patient-friendly and informative.
Here is a list of such websites.
Australia - www.arthritisaustralia.com.au Very user-friendly. Shares some patient information booklets with the rheumatologists' website.
www.rheumatology.org.au
U.S.A. www.arthritis.org/ broad range of consumer information.
The equivalent U.S. rheumatologists' website does not provide patient information (?possibly due to legal considerations)
U.K. www.arthritiscare.org.uk broad range of user-friendly information plus email and telephone support.
www.rheumatology.org.uk/ list support groups who provide information and resources.
All these sites have great general information but specific information regarding how to access treatment, medication or professional help does varies from country to country due to differences in how their health systems are set up and funded so bear this in mind.
On a final note, arthritis, in what ever form, cannot be cured but it can be managed and the symptoms often improved. I have seen too many patients who think their arthritis can't be helped or blame all their aches and pains on 'the arthritis' when that may not be the case. Sometimes a bit of a therapy 'tune-up' and a re-jigging of their exercise and management strategies can get them back on track.
