in HEALTH
People with arthritis have been advised to always eat balanced diet. According to a phytotherapist, Dr Francis Elegbuo, by eating a well balanced diet, “sufferers will not only be receiving critical nutrients, they will also be either maintaining or arriving more quickly at a healthy bodyweight that will not aggravate the joints”.
Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Phytotherapy medicines differ from plant-derived medicines in standard pharmacology. While standard pharmacology isolates an active compound from a given plant, phytotherapy aims to preserve the complexity of substances from a given plant with relatively less processing. Phytotherapists use herbs from around the world.
Dr Elegbuo said: “If you are overweight you will be adding extra pressure on weight-bearing joints. Through the many patients that I had attended to, I have found that losing just a few calories made a significant difference to their quality of life.”
He continued: “Arthritis affects the musculoskeletal system, specifically the joints. It is the main cause of disability among people over 55 years of age in industrialised countries, but in developing countries, musculoskeletal pains is common, and its built up largely result in arthritis, due to wear and tear on the joints. The word arthritis comes from the Greek arthron meaning “joint” and the Latin itis meaning ‘inflammation’. The plural of arthritis is arthritides.”
Dr Elegbuo said: “Arthritis is a term that covers over 100 medical conditions. The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Most types of arthritis are caused by a combination of factors. These include genetic make up, a physically demanding job, previous injury, infection or allergies, certain foods such as red meat, obesity and autoimmune disease.
“Most types of arthritis are caused by a combination of several factors working together. These factors may contribute towards a higher arthritis risk-your genetic makeup; a physically demanding job, especially one with repetitive movement; a previous injury; some infections or allergic reactions may cause short-term arthritis. When it is caused by an infection it is known as ‘reactive arthritis’; for a number of people, certain foods can either bring on arthritis symptoms, or make existing ones worse; obesity, which places extra strain on joints. Arthritis may also be caused by autoimmune disease.”
Having arthritis is not the end of the road as, “phytotherapists and nutritionists are frequently advising arthritis patients to keep sugary and/or fatty foods consumption low So also are the consumption of red meat, cream and cheese. “They should ensure that they eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Omega-3 essential fatty acids, have been shown to relieve to some extent the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis,” Elegbuo said.
According to Elegbuo, a common source of Omega-3 fatty acids is oily fish, such as Sardines, Herring, Titus and Salmon. “Many Nigerians tend to place large portions of food on our plate. If you reduce the size of the portions you may lose weight more effectively. Make sure that vegetables and fruit make up a large part of your portion,” he said.
Dr Elegbuo said: “Although arthritis can make daily tasks more difficult and exhausting, there are many techniques and therapies, which added together, can give an arthritis sufferer much better quality life, compared to no therapy at all. It is important that people with arthritis seek medical health and treatment. Although there is no cure for arthritis, there is a lot you can do to minimise its overall effects on your everyday life. You may wish or have to continue working, and with the right techniques and help from an occupational therapist you may find it not as daunting as you first thought.”
Meanwhile, a traditional medicine practitioner, Dr. Lambo Adebisi, has recommended exercise, lifestyle changes and healthy diets for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) known as a joint disease.
According to him, OA is the most common type of arthritis. He said ginger, garlic and vegetables have healing properties that can help sufferers overcome the problem.
“Eating a balanced, healthy diet can help reduce inflammation in people’s body. They may also help in losing weight or stay at a proper weight,” he said.
Dr Adebisi also recommended regular consumption of garlic and onions.
Moreover, anti-inflammatory oils, which are found in nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish, may also help. The disease, he said, is caused by “wear and tear.”
He said: “Healthy cartilage—the firm, rubbery tissue, which cushions bones at joints by letting bones glide over one another, while cartilage,absorbs energy from the movement.
“In OA, cartilage breaks down and wears away. As a result, the bones rub together causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.”
The disease, he said, often makes it difficult for sufferers to move the affected parts, which can be the hands, knees, hips and spine.
OA, he said, is not limited to men as it also affects women.
“It affects people more as they get older. People in their 50s and 60s are more susceptible. An injury to a joint or overuse, as some athletes might have, can cause OA when people are younger,” he said.
Some symptoms, he said, are joint pain and swelling, stiffness and weakness of joints, among others.
“Joint pain, often a deep, aching pain that gets worse when you move and better when you rest the joint. In severe cases, the pain may be constant. Stiffness in the morning or after sitting or lying down for more than 15 minutes, joint swelling and joints that are warm to the touch as well as difficult in movement,” he said.
According to him, the causes are unknown and are associated with ageing. However, metabolic, genetic, chemical, and mechanical factors can play a role in getting OA.
He identified risk factors for OA as being older, heredity, being overweight and injury to the joint.
Others are history of inflammatory joint disease, metabolic or hormonal disorders, bone and joint disorders present at birth.
He said athletes or construction workers might have the disease because of the rigour of their professions.
He said a combination of conventional and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments may be most effective.
People, he said, should change their lifestyle to curb the disease.
He said when people lose extra weight; it helps relieve the pressure on joints, and may slow down the loss of cartilage as well as relieve pain.
“Anybody suffering from OA, who is overweight, should lose weight to help their condition,” he said.
Regular exercise, he noted, is another good thing people can do when they have OA because it strengthens the muscles to support the joints.
“Regular daily 30 minutes of brisk walking can help suppress the pain. Also, hydrotherapy can be initiated. This can be in form of warm-water exercise,” he said.
He charged people suffering from joint pains to avoid refined food, such as white breads, pastas, and sugars.
“They should eat lean meats, cold-water fish or beans for protein. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are highly beneficial. Besides, they should avoid caffeine and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco,” he said.
Adebisi said turmeric (Curcuma longa), cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) can be used to manage the problem.
