Arthritic Joints Common Among US Adults

On Oct. 24, 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that as many as one in three US adults, or 70 million total individuals have arthritis. This causes disability in as many as 8 million people.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a disorder that causes pain and swelling in joints. Over time, an affected joint can become severely damaged, disfigured and difficult to move.

	Symptoms
Overall	û Low grade fever	û Shortness of breath	û Dry mouth	û Itchy skin
Joints	û Pain and swelling	û Soreness	û Stiffness	û Disfigured joints

Common Types of Arthritis

Arthritis

Characteristics

Affected Area

Osteoarthritis

Heberden's Nodes

û Stiffness that follows periods of sleep, sitting or inactivity

û Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints

û Steady or intermittent pain in a joint

û Crunching feeling or the sound of bone rubbing on bone

Cartilage

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inflamed Joints

û Affected joints feel tender, warm, and swollen

û Both sides of the body are affected at the same time

û Often affects the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand

û Pain and stiffness last for more than one hour in the morning

Synovium

Juvenile Rheumatoid

Arthritis

A picture of a child who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

û Joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that is worse in the morning

û Joint inflammation and stiffness for more than six weeks in children under 16 years of age

Synovium

Causes of Arthritis

The cause of arthritis is unknown in Western medicine. In Chinese medicine, there are two fundamental factors affecting the development of arthritis: 1) blood circulation in joints is weak and insufficient, causing a slowing of the metabolism in the joints, and 2)water retention in the joint tissues diminishes blood flow and waste removal. Chemical waste accumulates locally and becomes toxic to the joint tissues. (For osteoarthritis patients, the stiffness that tends to follow sleep or sitting is a clear indication of this process.) Slower metabolism diminishes heat removal. This is why arthritic joints are often warm and/or red. The arthritic bones and joints appear thicker because of the hardened surrounding tissues that have developed by the two factors. After successful healing, these tissues will be loosened and bone outline will appear thinner.

Prevention – Living a Better Life Style

As prevention is the best medicine, patients can prevent or lessen the symptoms of arthritis by:

² Practicing relaxed exercises like Tai Chi	² Going to bed at a reasonable time – by 10:00 pm
² Avoiding deep fried, grilled or spicy foods	² Drinking tea instead of coffee

Healing – Renewing Patient’s Life

Patients will experience distinct comfort during each healing session and enjoy some of the benefits below:

ü Relaxed joints	ü Easier breathing	ü Cooler body temperature
ü Overall relaxation	ü Decreased thirst	ü Less pain and redness of joints

Our arthritis healing consists of a multi-step process. One arthritis healing series consists of 5 sessions. Depending on the stage of the patient’s arthritis, for complete healing, 2 to 5 of these healing series may be required. Healing is profound and can completely stop the progression of the damage. Structural damage of the joints and bones can be difficult to rebuild. Consequently, early treatment of arthritis is recommended and provides a better chance for full recovery.

Distance Healing Is An Option for Remote Patients

If you live far away from our office, how about giving our amazing distance healing services a try. We have helped many patients remotely.

Eastern Healing Center provides Qigong healing, Pi Gu healing, Holistic Weight Loss, Distance Healing, Acupuncture and Tai Chi in Gaithersburg, Rockville, Potomac, and Germantown in Montgomery county, Maryland, and the whole Washington DC area.

Eastern Healing Center is located near the Old Towne Gaithersburg. Our office is only about 1 mile north to Rockville; 12 miles north to Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton; 4 miles south to Germantwon and 6 miles east to Potomac. Gaithersburg is at the center of Montgomery county, Maryland. Montgomery County is a suburban county located in the state of Maryland, north of Washington DC.