If you’re in the unfortunate position of being newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, have no fear, your among friends and we know how you feel.

Yes, changes be coming and most of them will be a pain in the hip joint but look at it this way…If you follow the information in this blog and change the bad stuff in your life to awesome stuff, then you may just of found a way to become happy, healthy and amazing all in one shot? Well done you! 🙂

Ok, the tough part

Have I got rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis usually starts with a pain in one or more joints and normally comes with some redness, swelling, stiffness and inflammation. Problem is, there are many different types of arthritis that can look and feel similar to RA and the symptoms involved are so similar that the only way to know for sure is to get tested at your doctors.

It would be unwise of me to describe my RA symptoms here and then hope they fit your experience, so below I have included a list of symptoms that docs look for in new patients.

Ask yourself honestly… Do you have any of these symptoms?

1. Redness or swelling around the joint accompanied by a sensation of heat.
2. Build up of fluid in the joint capsule ( area around the joint).
3. Bony or soft tissue nodules on the fingers or toes
4. Muscle wasting.
5. Pitted fingernails.
6. Limited range of movement in one or more joints.
7. Creaking sounds or noises coming from joints when moving.
8. Fever.
9. Deformities of the fingers or toes
10. Drastically reduced energy, strength and performance.

If you have any of the bone based problems mentioned above or more than one of the above accompanied by a bone issue then you have a high chance that you are suffering from a form of inflammatory arthritis.

How will I know for sure?

Initial diagnosis is carried out by your doctor but he/she doesn’t have the last word on this. Your doctor will be able to give you a very good indication of what they think is wrong, but for a definitive answer you will need further examination.

After your first consultation with your doctor you will be referred you to your local hospital, where tests will be carried out to try to determine which type of arthritis you may be suffering from.
Blood test and a physical examination will be required, but rest assured the docs won’t take pints of blood and the procedure is relatively painless.

I found the whole process quite rewarding because I was terrified at what lay ahead. Going to the doctors finally straightened all the doubts and uncertainty I had and allowed me to face up to what I needed to do to get healthy.
Best thing of all was that I wasn’t judged in any way for leaving it so late to seek treatment.

The health care professionals I saw were very understanding of my predicament and made me feel quite reassured. The general attitude was…Your hear now so let’s get you sorted.:)
These people have seen it all before, so despite me going in there with many years of suffering already behind me they didn’t judge me or make me feel like I had made the wrong choice in going natural.

In the end there was something very heartening and reassuring to be taken from the fact that I went to see my doctor. If were going to get to the bottom of what’s happening to us we need to know what challenges we face. Putting off the inevitable trip to the doctor’s office won’t help you, and Ignoring the problem will only decrease your chances of a healthy recovery.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a degenerative bone disease which causes pain and discomfort in the joints through inflammation and erosion.  It is absolutely vital that this inflammation is brought under control because it can lead to serious problems and other diseases.
In people with RA the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks healthy tissue of the body.  No one knows why the immune system is compelled to attack the healthy tissues and no one drug or therapy can stop it happening, but there are things we can do to lessen the suffering.

How do I cure arthritis?

Please take a seat and a deep breath…..Arthritis can’t be cured clinically?

Can you believe that after all these years of researching, donating and suffering? No me either!

If the medical establishment can’t cure rheumatoid arthritis then it looks like it’s down to us to find our own way of dealing with this thing. This website has been put together to get you thinking, learning and living in better, more arthritis focused  ways. It is not a substitute for medical information, but I know if I had the benefit of a resource like during my worse days, I would be in a better place now.
The internet was a baby when I started with RA, but I think the available knowledge has matured sufficiently that we can all find relief together through an integrative approach.

It isn’t all bad news?

We can significantly reduce arthritis pain, symptoms and progression through diet, exercise, alternative therapies, meditation, improving our thinking and feeling and a million other ways that I set out for you in this site.

Firm and positive action will be required on your part and you will also need to learn some things about diet and lifestyle. If we integrate these coping strategies into our daily lives we can move on from arthritis and start rebuilding our lives.

My RA is now officially in remission and has been for some time. I hope this fact gives you the inspiration to carry on looking for the day your Doctor confirms that your RA is in full remission.

Will overcoming arthritis take work?

Like doing anything in life that’s worthwhile, overcoming your rheumatoid arthritis will take a lot of work.

Look at it this way…. Your not going to be doing a lot of anything else if your laid in bed crippled? Why not start rebuilding yourself to be better than you were before you encountered RA?

Taking positive steps to improve your health and thinking about the way you live will save you untold agonies later on in life and may leave you understanding health in a way which could help you avoid rheumatoid arthritis and a load of illnesses that old age usually brings to people.
RA is not a death sentence because you’re in control now! This is your destiny and it really is up to you.

I developed arthritis at age 27 and although it has been a true curse for me, I know I would never have been such a complete human being ( if I am?) without the intervention of this disease?
The health and zest for life I have acquired since arthritis came into my life will see me good to the end of my long and fruitful days.  I would love to think that a brush with disease could have the same positive effects on your life and give you the energy that I feel in my life.

My aim is to see you stick around for a good while longer yet, with no added dramas, sickness or secondary diseases that can arise from this potentially complicated condition.

What is the prognosis for arthritis?

I would like to be positive and say that RA isn’t going to be a problem, but let’s get one thing straight. Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious condition with serious consequences…… if you do not follow all the good advice that is on offer you may be in for a tough time.

You can take one of two routes to destination better.

1. Go to see your doctor
2. Go to see your doctor.

Both are valuable but the second option involves having an open mind and being willing to accept that doctors do know a lot of stuff…..Despite some of the bad press they get.
However, doctors don’t know everything and this is where you come in.
You need to educate yourself on the good ways of living and get yourself into a position to fill in the blanks of your doctors knowledge.

For instance, most doctor know very little about diet, alternative therapies, RA supplements, living or most anything other than diagnosing and dosing. How do I know this? Because I have asked them about these things and got some really strange looks, or comments like…We don’t do anything like that here?

That attitude is disappointing, but hey that’s what we have to work with and docs shouldn’t be blamed for their lack of knowledge on these subjects…..I’m sure they will catch up?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a degenerative disease, so it’s important to get treated fast.
Research has shown that the sooner you go to the docs and make an intervention the better your outcome for rheumatoid arthritis will be.

This is serious folks! If you have a phobia against docs or are just too damn petrified to go to the docs, you need to do your very best to overcome that fear and get down there right away.

I know this can be hard but it will be worth your time and will at least give you the choice of making an intervention with drugs or leaving the drugs behind and setting off in a new direction.
If you cannot under any circumstance face going to the docs then I would strongly suggest you get reading and take every precaution because your likely in for a rough ride.

I know I’ve experienced that strategy and have lived to tell the tale, but with obvious costs.

THERE IS HOPE!!!