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Introduction

Whether it appears as a little bit of creaky stiffness in the hip or knee or as a major case of inflammation that settles in several joints, arthritis is an unwelcome visitor that knocks on just about everybody’s door sooner or later. Although we don’t have an out-and-out cure for arthritis, there are many techniques for managing this disease — that is, controlling its symptoms so that you can get on with your life! Arthritis does not mean that you must spend your days relegated to a rocking chair or shuffling from your bed to an easy chair and back again. Most of the time, you can take charge of your disease, instead of letting it take charge of you. By following the simple techniques outlined in this book, you can do much to control your pain, exercise away your stiffness, keep yourself on the move, and slow down or prevent progression of your disease. All you need is a little know-how — and that’s what we provide in these chapters.

About This Book

When writing this book, our goal was to provide you with the best and most up-to-date information on arthritis treatments in an easy-to-read format that you could simply thumb through. We have included the best-of-the-best of many different healing systems — ranging from standard Western medicine (including medications and surgery), to Eastern hands-on healing methods (including acupuncture, acupressure, and reiki), to alternative therapies (including homeopathy, herbs, DHEA, hydrotherapy) and such far-out approaches as bee venom therapy.

If you like, you can read this book straight through from cover to cover, but it’s not absolutely necessary. We do suggest that you read the first chapter as an introduction, and then zero in on the description of your particular kind of arthritis, found in Chapters 2, 3, 4, or 5. After that, feel free to flip through the book and read whatever catches your fancy.

Because arthritis impacts your life in so many different ways, we have chapters that address the many complex issues that you may face, including the technical aspects of arthritis (tests, medicines, and surgeries), the practical aspects (diet, exercise, and day-to-day living), and the emotional aspects (depression and anger). We also give tips on how to assemble your healthcare treatment team, how to talk to your doctor, and what to do about chronic pain.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, we made certain educated guesses about you, the reader, so that we could figure out what might be most interesting and useful to you and write our book accordingly. We’ve assumed the following:

 You either have arthritis yourself or you’re close to someone who has it.

 You’re interested in finding out more about arthritis and its treatments.

 You want to do something to ease arthritis pain and other symptoms.

 You want to play an active part in managing the disease, rather than just going along with whatever your doctor tells you.

 You’re interested in finding out about some alternative ways to treat arthritis.

 You’d like to find out how to handle the emotional issues that go hand-in-hand with the disease.

We also don’t assume that you’re a medical expert! Now and again, the abbreviated forms of several diseases pop up in various parts of this book so let’s get a helpful list into the book for you right away. Here’s a quick list of the common ones and what they stand for:

 AS: Ankylosing spondylitis

 DLE: Discoid lupus erythematosus

 GCA: Giant cell arteritis

 JIA: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

 OA: Osteoarthritis

 PMR: Polymyalgia rheumatica

 PsA: Psoriatic arthritis

 RA: Rheumatoid arthritis

 SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus

And don’t worry: We explain in this book what these words mean!

Icons Used in This Book

The icons tell you what you must know, what you should know, and what you may find interesting but can live without.

When you see this icon, it means the information is essential, and you should be aware of it.

This icon marks important information that can save you time and energy.

The Technical Stuff icon marks a more in-depth medical passage or gives you further information about confusing medical terms.

The Warning icon cautions you against potential problems.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the abundance of information and guidance related to arthritis that we provide in this book, you can find even more help and information online at Dummies.com. Check out this book’s online Cheat Sheet. Just go to www.dummies.com and search for “Arthritis For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”

Where to Go from Here

Someone once said, “Knowledge is power.” You have the power to take charge of your arthritis; all you have to do is educate yourself and apply what you discover. This book is a good place to start, but you’ll have to commit and recommit yourself to maintaining your health on a daily basis. Remember, it’s the little things that you do every day that count. As you embark on your journey, we wish you luck, strength, and many active, pain-free years!