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Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008

Rheumatoid arthritis

    Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts during young adulthood or middle age,continue into old
age,and affects women three times more often than men (Pelletier,1977).This illness manifests itself
through swelling and soreness in joints throughout the body.Stress often appears to play apart in the
course  of this illness and perhaps in its inception.
  


 Like ulcerative colitis and,perhaps,cancer,rheumatoid arthritsis a disease of the immune
system.Specially,it is an autoimmune illness in which antibodies become directed against the body's
own cells,thereby inflicting tissue damage.Usually the immune system has little difficulty distinguishing
self and non-self.For reasons not entirely understood,this discriminating ablility breaks down in
rheumatoid arthritic patients,resulting in chronic joint inflammation,usually in shoulders,elbows,
hips,wrists,fingers,knees,ankles,and feet.Ultimately,cells of the synovial jount multiply at an
abnormally faster rate,contributing to the swelling and,finally,filling up the joint space itself
and eroding the cartilage and bone ends.Scar tissue may form,resulting in deformation and pain.
    Rheumatoid artritis,like other illnesses,have varied causes,For example,heredity seem sometimes
to play a part through a blood protein called the "rheumatoid factor" which is found  in about half
 of rheumatoid arthritics.The factor increases susceptibility ,but does not always cause rheumatoid
arthritis.
    Research has not yep produced definitive conclusions as to why rheumatoid arthitis develops
when it does in specific people.However,certain personality traits have been associated in many cases.

      My experience working with a handful of rheumatoid arthritic patients is consistent with
references by a number of writers to a common pattern:emotional tension significantly worsens the
symptoms.
    A 48 year old woman had developed rheumatoid arthritis soon after marrying at age 18 while
pregnant.The swelling and pain had plagues her off and  on ever since. Three years prior to her entering
our hospital-based 12 week stress control program,her husband had left her after a bitter series of
feuds in which she felt discounted and unloved.For several months after the split,she was almost totally
bed-ridden with pain and swelling.Gradually,she made her way back to independence and strength,though she
was still very vulnerable and emotionally unstable.During and after our work together,she enrolled in
community college,began to swim daily,and practiced deep relaxation.Her symptoms subsided in harmony
with the increase in her physical fitness,confidence,and optimisc outlook toward the future
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 February 2008 )

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