The Difference Between Arthritis and Rheumatism
Leong Y.H..M.D
'Rheumatism' is a traditional and non-specific term used in the East and West to refer to a variety of conditions affecting the bones, joints, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs. This term is rapidly falling out of favour in the West today because modern medical science has discovered that most of these conditions have different aetiologies (causes) requiring very different treatments.
You can say that it's a word mainly used in Chinese (& traditional) societies; it's also used by a minority of Westerners into homeopathic and alternative medicine. The only common characteristics among these conditions are: 1) they cause long-term chronic pain, and 2) they are very difficult to treat.
'Arthritis' is a broad term refers to inflammation of the joints, but doesn't say anything about the cause. Includes conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, infective arthritis, gouty arthritis, etc.
Generally, I'd divide arthritis into 2 big groups:
1) Osteoarthritis (OA) This is primarily a 'wear and tear' condition affecting older people. Arises from overuse (e.g. marathon runners), previous injuries (football players), overweight, heredity. A lot of older Asian women get OA of the knees while the Americans and Europeans get it in the hips. The pain is more mechanical than inflammatory. So you get pain in the later part of the day after a lot of walking and climbing stairs.
Because it's mainly a mechanical problem, treatment with painkillers is only a temporary solution. Long-term lifestyle changes are more important - reduce weight, mobility and muscle-strengthening exercises, reduce all kinds of weight-bearing activities (walking, jumping, running, carrying heavy objects). In severe cases, surgery may be warranted.
2) Inflammatory ('Rheumatic') Arthritis This group comprises the various types of arthritis which are mainly inflammatory , not mechanical, in nature. They usually result from an auto-immune condition, which causes the body's immune system to go haywire and attack the joints and other parts of the body. E.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), SLE (skin, kidneys, joints, brain), psoriasis (skin, joints), ankylosing spondylitis (back, heart), gout (joints, skin, kidneys), rheumatic heart disease/fever (joints, heart, skin). All these conditions require different forms of treatment.
I'll talk a bit about RA, the commonest condition in this group. Unlike OA, RA can occur at any age and is usually hereditary (we now have a test for the RA factor in the blood). Pain is usually in the early morning, worse when it's cold, and gets better with activity and use. That means an RA sufferer suffers from morning stiffness and pain, but gets better in the afternoon when it's warmer and when he has moved around a bit.
Treatment, unlike OA, is mainly through drugs - painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs like steroids, cytotoxic drugs like sulfasalazine and MTX. In Asia, treatment is mainly through accupuncture, medicated plasters and ointments. With the vast arsenals of drugs and non-drugs alternative treatments available today, RA can be controlled very well and the sufferer can actually lead a very active life. Many OA sufferers on the other hand may eventually require surgery since we don't have very effective drugs for OA.
About the author:
Dr Leong Y.H is a western trained medical doctor with a keen
interest in Oriental medical treatment. He contribute articles
to http://www.quick-pain-relief.com and
http://www.chinese-culture.net. You may distribute this article
as long as mention is made of the author and the website.
The latest information and news on Arthritis Advice :
UCB announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) relating to the Biologics License Application (BLA) of Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol), the first PEGylated anti-TNF, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Senior Wellness Center Offers Tai Chi for Arthritis (The Somerset Reporter)
BERNARDS - The Somerset County Office on Aging will offer an Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi program at the Somerset County Senior Wellness Center, located at 202 Mt. Airy Road. Classes will be held on Thursday afternoons at 1 p.m., starting...
Arthritis meeting has info, insight (Arizona Daily Star)
Even arthritis doctors get arthritis.
The "Cold" Truth About Arthritis Pain (WMBD - FOX 43 Peoria)
WMBD/WYZZ - Peoria - The cold, winter months can cause a few extra problems for people with arthritis, but the temperature outside may not be the only thing causing those aches and pains.
Perils of Juvenile Arthritis (Khaleej Times)
DUBAI - When five-year-old Mustafa Atef started to moan of pain in his knees and legs, his mother, Abeer, dismissed his complaints, chiding him instead for wanting to skip school.
Huge Discrepancy in RA Treatment in Dubai: Expert (Khaleej Times)
DUBAI - While more emphasis has been placed on fighting diabetes and obesity in the UAE, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), which affects a great number of people, has generally been ignored.
LIVE: Doppler 11 Radar Loop (WPXI Pittsburgh)
There are a lot of things that can cause joint pain. Find out how psoriasis can lead to arthritis. Full Story ?? Think you can?t own a vacation home for less than $100,000? Check out these lesser known spots where you can relax without the high price.
Pressure to raise weather payment (Channel 4)
The government recently raised the cold weather payment to Ł25 a week. But there is now mounting pressure to extend the payment to people who suffer from debilitating illnesses such as arthritis or MS, which are affected by the cold.
Sponsored Listing (Growth Company Investor)
Diagnostics group Axis-Shield has developed a new detection test for rheumatoid arthritis, cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCP), for US pharmaceutical giant Abbott.
Test kit could aid millions (The Evening Telegraph)
Dundee biotech firm Axis-Shield has developed a revolutionary new test for the crippling illness rheumatoid arthritis that could ease the suffering of millions of people (writes Graham Huband).
