Do Special Diets Help Manage Osteoarthritis?

Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:36:56 +0100

Osteoarthritis remains to the most leading cause of disability in the United States, health reports indicate, affecting the workforce of the country and its health care system. Men and women who are affected by this debilitating joint disease often try to find various methods that will help alleviate the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Food has been known to influence the occurrence of this debilitating joint problem but there are no data to prove the relevance of a specific diet in preventing or causing the exacerbation of symptoms, according to the Daily Mail Online. The rising number of ASR cases shows that there are still men and women who are having problems with managing their hip problem.

There many arthritis sufferers that are looking for relief may believe in these claims because they hope to relieve the pain the natural way. Many believe that having a special diet will allow them to avoid the pain and discomfort brought about by the joint problem. However, there is a lack in scientific evidence to support several popular food supplements, herbs, special diets and oils in relieving pain or preventing the symptoms. Some patients fervently believed that the food they eat greatly affects the development of the problem. Certain foods have been thought as the possible culprit of arthritis but orthopedic experts have already dismissed this for the lack of data.

Still, men and women have associated relief and exacerbations in their symptoms with food such as dairy products, tomatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and citrus fruits among others, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Eliminating the following food from their diet usually elicits relief in just a few days, but there are no sufficient data that will back it up other than the unfounded information from other people. However, there is indeed some truth in this as controlling what we eat will indeed bring relief to the pain especially if this helps in maintaining or losing weight. The weight of a person adds pressure to the joints. Hence, eating just the right amount and kind of food that will lead to weight loss helps men and women suffering from osteoarthritis experience pain relief.

It is important that patients consult their orthopedic specialists and dietician when they decide to take special diets, herbs or supplements. For others, food management does have a positive effect and many contemplating on shifting their diet to decrease the symptoms. On the other hand, those who are thinking of getting a hip replacement may need to tune in to the updates from the DePuy Hip Recall News Center.

pcrm.org/health/health-topics/foods-and-arthritis
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-155121/What-foods-I-avoid-osteoarthritis.html
http://www.arthritistoday.org/about-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/osteoarthritis/daily-life/osteoarthritis-diet.php
http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/osteoarthritis-diet

Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hip Replacement

Wed, 04 Dec 2013 18:18:02 +0100

Hip replacement and other procedures are currently being performed using the minimally invasive approach, health experts say, although the risks and benefits of using such technique are still being reviewed. Orthopedic surgeons are now able to make one or two small incisions when performing a hip replacement surgery using the minimally invasive technique, according to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). This may show that there is less blood loss and better recovery rate for patients but orthopedic specialists are always evaluating the technique to ensure that the procedure is safe. Traditional hip replacement procedure is still performed by most orthopedic specialists.

The technique used in performing minimally invasive hip replacement surgery is not entirely new but there are some improvements since it was first used. This technique offers many benefits, hence, many patients ask their surgeons about it. If it will be used on wider demographics, then improvements are needed to be accomplished. The limitations of the technique only allow it to be used among healthy, thin and younger individuals. If deemed unqualified, patients who are unqualified may still have the operation using the traditional approach. The risks and benefits are then informed to those who qualify.

The procedure itself is not different from the traditional, although it does avoid slicing through the muscles. The surgeon navigates around the hip muscle instead of cutting through it. Surgeons may use specialized instruments that may help in making the small incisions of about three to six inches long. It allows patients to recover faster because of the smaller incision wound, less traumatized muscles and lesser blood loss. One or two days after the surgery, the patient may be able to get out of the hospital. In about four weeks, the patients may be able to fully recover from the operation and return to their normal activities.

Researchers have found that the method may have more complications than the traditional approach, according to the MedlinePlus. There are still many areas that need to be improved in this technique. Patients also need to choose a surgeon who has enough experience in performing this kind of surgical procedure. The recent hip replacement recall has triggered talks on the dangers of hip implants but patients are assured that not all types of metal hip implants are going to fail.

URL References:

nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007498.htm

orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00404

orthop.washington.edu/?q=patient-care/articles/hip/minimally-invasive-total-hip-replacement-surgery.html

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Do Special Diets Help Manage Osteoarthritis?

Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hip Replacement