OTHER MAIN TYPES OF ARTHRITIS

After osteoarthritis (Osteoarthritis) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), three other major types of arthritis are Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Gout. Let’s take a look at each.

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Support for your hands and Knees A large range of braces and supports for your wrists and knees when you need additional support.

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Chiropractic Pillows Some pillows feel good others make you feel good.

Improve bone strength Natural supplements to improve bone strength and joint health

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Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE)

More people have lupus than cerebral palsy, sickle-cell anemia, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and cystic fibrosis combined (Colorado Health Net, 1999).

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder. It may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs. The course of the disease is unpredictable and individualized, varying greatly in severity. There can be nervous system involvement, arthritis, and/or muscle damage.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Normally, the immune system controls the body's defenses against infection. In SLE and other autoimmune diseases, these defenses are turned against the body and rogue immune cells attack tissues. Antibodies may be produced that can react against the body's blood cells, organs, and tissues. These lead immune cells to attack the affected systems, producing a chronic (long-term) disease.

The mechanism or cause of autoimmune diseases is not fully known, but many researchers suspect it occurs following infection with an organism that looks similar to particular proteins in the body, which are later mistaken for the invading organism and wrongly targeted for attack.

The disease affects 9 times as many women as men. It may occur at any age, but appears most often in people between the ages of 10 and 50 years. African Americans and Asians are affected more often than people from other races. SLE may also be caused by certain drugs. When this occurs, it is known as drug-induced lupus erythematosus and it is usually reversible when the medication is stopped.

The course of the disease may vary from a mild episodic illness to a severe fatal disease. Symptoms also vary widely in a particular individual over time and are characterized by periods of reduction and remission and increased severity. At its onset, only one organ system may be involved. Additional organs may become involved later. The following organ systems are the most common system involved, but other manifestations are possible.

Muscles and Bones

Almost all people with SLE have joint arthritis pain and most develop arthritis. Frequently affected joints are the fingers, hands, wrists, and knees. Death of bone tissue can occur in the hips and shoulders and is frequently a cause of arthritis pain in those areas.

Skin

A "butterfly" rash over the cheeks and bridge of the nose affects about half of those with SLE. The rash is usually worsened by sunlight. A more diffuse rash may appear on other body parts that are exposed to the sun. Other skin lesions or nodules can also occur.

Kidneys

Some people with SLE have deposits of antibodies within the cells of the kidneys. However, less than 50% have lupus nephritis as with persistent inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the kidney. These patients may eventually experience kidney failure and require dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Nervous System

Nerve disorders affect up to 25% of those with SLE. Mild mental problems are the most common symptom, but any area of the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system can be affected. Seizures, psychosis, organic brain syndrome, and headaches are some of the nervous system disorders that occur.

Blood

Blood disorders affect up to 85% of those with SLE. Blood clots can form and are associated with strokes and pulmonary embolism, or pregnancy loss. Predisposition to blood clots, or less commonly bleeding, occurs due to antibodies attacking lipids involved in blood clotting and is referred to as anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). Often blood platelets are decreased which may cause bleeding or clotting problems. Anemia often develops at some point in the course SLE.

Heart

Inflammation of various parts of the heart may occur as pericarditis, endocarditis, or myocarditis. Chest arthritis pain and arrhythmias may result from these conditions.

Lungs

Pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the lung, and pleural effusions, a fluid collection between the lung and its lining, can occur as a result of SLE. Chest arthritis pain and shortness of breath are frequently results of these disorders.

General Symptoms

fever
fatigue
general discomfort, uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise)
weight loss
skin rash - a "butterfly" rash, aggravated by sunlight
sensitivity to sunlight
joint arthritis pain and swelling
arthritis
swollen glands
muscle aches
nausea and vomiting
pleuritic chest arthritis pain
seizures
psychosis

The diagnosis of SLE is based upon the presence of at least four out of eleven typical characteristics of the disease.

Tests to determine the presence of these disease manifestations may vary, but will include some of the following:

antinuclear antibody (ANA) panel including anti-DNA and anti-Smith antibodies, with the latter two tests generally positive in lupus alone
characteristic skin rash or lesions
chest x-ray showing pleuritis or pericarditis
listening to the chest with a stethoscope to reveal heart friction rub or pleural friction rub
urinalysis to show blood, casts, or protein in the urine
CBC showing a decrease in some cell types
kidney biopsy
neurological examination

Treatment

The disease has multiple symptoms with variable severity, which determines individual treatment. There is no cure for SLE.

Mild disease (rash, headaches, fever, arthritis, pleurisy, pericarditis) requires little therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) are used to treat arthritis and pleurisy. Corticosteroid creams are used to treat skin rashes. Antimalarial drugs (hydroxychloroquine) and low dose corticosteroids are sometimes used for skin and arthritis symptoms.

Fish Oil

Fish oils and copper have both been found useful in the treatment of other inflammatory diseases, so researchers at the University of Ulster decided to see if supplementation with one or both of these would help alleviate SLE symptoms. Their clinical study involved 52 SLE patients who were randomly assigned to receive 3 grams/day of fish oil and 360 mg/day of DHA , 3 mg/day of a copper di-glycinate amino acid complex, both fish oil and copper, or a placebo. The study lasted 24 weeks.

Conclusion: They found that disease severity at 24 weeks, was significantly less in the groups that had supplemented with fish oil than in the placebo and copper only groups. Supplementation with fish oil may be effective in favorably modifying the symptomatic disease activity in SLE. Journal of Rheumatology, Vol. 31, August 2004

Sensitivity to light is treated by protective clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Severe or life-threatening manifestations (hemolytic anemia, extensive heart or lung involvement, kidney disease, central nervous system involvement) often requires treatment by both rheumatologists and specialists in the specific area. Corticosteroids or medications to suppress the immune system may be prescribed to control the various symptoms. Some health care professionals use cytotoxic drugs (drugs that block cell growth) to treat people who do not have a good response to corticosteroids or who are dependent on high doses of corticosteroids.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outcome for people with SLE has improved over recent years. Many of those affected have mild illness. Women with SLE who become pregnant are often able to carry the pregnancy safely to term and deliver normal infants, provided severe kidney or heart disease is not present and the SLE is being managed.

Coping with SLE through water movement and exercise programs

A warm water learning environment is extremely beneficial for an individual with lupus. It is extremely beneficial for an individual with lupus because it:

Promotes muscle relaxation and increased ease of movement about a joint. Aquatic movements can ease stiffness with little stress being exerted on the joints. Individuals with lupus arthritis can experience early morning and late afternoon stiffness in distal joints.
Reduces arthritis pain sensitivity (a very common symptom of lupus and a side effect of some of its treatments through the effects of buoyancy, the reduction of the compression force on joints, and the disruption of the arthritis pain cycle because arthritis pain perception is gated (or shut off by the presence of other stimuli) 90% of the people with lupus experience muscle and/or joint arthritis pain at some point during their illness
Increases muscular strength and endurance. Muscle weakness and fatigue are common symptoms of SLE and treatment with corticosteroids.
Increases cardio-respiratory fitness in a carefully designed program. This is important to prevent unwanted effects of SLE and its treatments, such as obesity, muscle weakness, low energy or fatigue and to improve desirable effects such as stamina, stress management and ideal body composition.
Increases peripheral circulation that promotes skin healing. Non-contagious sores on the skin are the second most common characteristic of SLE and the only symptom of discoid lupus.

Read on for both medical and natural treatment approaches

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