Arthritis: Part III

By Dr. Paulette Roscoe

Today I am continuing my series on arthritis but on a slightly different tack. In my first two articles I wrote about osteoarthritis, which is the type most people are familiar with. Today and in my next article I am going to talk about a less common form of this disease, called rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis only affects about one to three per cent of Canadians but those affected are usually younger than those who contract osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis most commonly strikes people between the ages of 20 and 40 and of those, women are three times more likely to be affected.

A low grade fever, fatigue, and generalized joint stiffness and pain are often harbingers of rheumatoid arthritis. Within several weeks of the initial onset the condition can affect one or several joints causing swelling and pain. This pain is often symmetrical, affecting both sides of the body. The joints of the hands, wrists, ankles, and knees are most commonly affected. These joints are often hot because they are red, swollen, and warm to the touch.

Bouts of rheumatoid arthritis can initially come and go. With time however, chronic inflammation causes the joints to become deformed. A natural treatment plan seeks to intervene early to slow the progression of the joint destruction.

Rheumatoid arthritis is commonly thought to be a disease of the auto immune system. Auto immune means that a person's own immune system is attacking a particular part of the body. In rheumatoid arthritis the synovial lining that lubricates the joints is attacked.

It is challenging to pinpoint the cause of rheumatoid arthritis. As with other auto immune system disorders, we don't know for sure what causes it. One factor may be a family history of rheumatoid arthritis. It has been shown that rheumatoid arthritis is four times more likely to occur in the offspring of parents who have it.

Infection may be another cause. It appears that in rheumatoid arthritis the body shows a higher amount of circulating immune complexes that have viral or infective products attached to them. This has led to speculation that a virus may be one of the possible contributing factors to the disease.

There is also evidence that the health of the gastro-intestinal tract plays a role. When the GI tract is not healthy, food allergens can pass into the blood stream and spark an allergic response in the joints. GI tract flora have also been linked to rheumatoid arthritis and other auto immune illnesses.

Low levels of the adrenal hormone DHEA have also been proposed as a predisposing factor for this illness.

So as you can see, rheumatoid arthritis is a classic example of a multi-faceted illness where an assortment of genetic and environmental factors contribute to the disease process. The natural approach to treating rheumatoid arthritis seeks to increase the health of the GI tract while decreasing the inflammatory processes.

Watch for my next column when I will talk about natural treatments for this disease.

Dr. Paulette Roscoe is a naturopathic physician who practices in Nanaimo. She welcomes your calls at 754-1733.