I’m here today to talk with you about healthy living tips for Arthritis. I’m a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, and I’ve been a GNP for over 25 years. I’ve worked with many older adults and younger adults who've had Arthritis. Many of you may know that there are different kinds of Arthritis. The two most common kinds are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. They’re quite different from eachother.
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and tends to affect many joints in the bodies of those that have Rheumatoid Arthritis (we often abbreviate RA). So those with RA have very different phenomena than those with Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disorder, but rather it affects one or two, or perhaps several joints, but not all the joints in your body. Those with Osteoarthritis, also known as Degenerative Joint Disease (which can be abbreviated DJD), really tend to have some early morning stiffness that goes away throughout the day as they get involved in their normal schedule
Different Types of Joint Pain and the Challenges of Arthritis:
In either type of Arthritis, it’s the joints that really suffer the consequences of the destruction to them. Folks with Arthritis tend to have chronic, consistent pain. Certainly those with RA versus those with Osteoarthritis have different types of pain, but nevertheless, each type of Arthritis does cause the individual a fair amount of discomfort. That pain can really be damaging to those joints as well as to your overall lifestyle. You may slow down; you may have challenged with simple activities of your everyday life that become more challenging -- more complex. For example, opening the lid of jar because your hands are stiff from arthritis really can wreak havoc with your everyday activities. Sometimes even things like getting dressed and being able to fasten or unfasten a belt or brassiere can really be challenging because of your arthritis. Maybe you’re a person who loves to walk and your hips and knees have been affected by your arthritis -- very challenging.
You can always find out more by reaching out to a BrightStar Agency to find out how they can help you live more healthily with arthritis. Thanks, take good care!