Rheumatoid Arthritis

Excerpts from the entry on Rheumatoid Arthritis in Relieving Pain Naturally by Dr. Sylvia Goldfarb and Roberta W. Waddell. For full entries on all 37 conditions and 27 treatments, order the book.

Arthritis is inflammation and pain in a joint. Its most common forms are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and, of the two, rheumatoid arthritis is the more serious because it is more crippling. Considered an autoimmune disease, it is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the entire body because it attacks the membranes surrounding the lubricating fluid in the joints. Scar tissue replaces this damaged membrane tissue, causing the joint space to narrow and eventually fuse together. Three times as many women as men are affected by this form of arthritis, which usually starts between the ages of twenty and forty-five.

Also in this entry:

• Symptoms
• Common Causes
• Diagnosing the Problem
• Conventional Treatments
• Problems with Some Conventional Treatments
• Self-Help Alternative Treatments
• Assisted Alternative Treatments
• Practical Suggestions

See below for full list of all conditions and treatments in the book. Or, download a complete Condition entry or Treatment entry for free.