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Beating the agony of arthritis

"Imagine living with arthritis for just one day of your life," says Sheldon Solomon, MD, a rheumotologist at Virtua Hospital Marlton. "It might go something like this: You can barely get out of bed because your limbs are frozen like cement. Once you drag yourself to the bathroom, you're unable to even clean yourself after you've used the toilet because your arms won't bend. You must call your spouse for help. At breakfast, your fingers won't obey your brain — they can't even bend to pick up your spoon. Food spills down the front of your shirt. And so your day begins." Dr. Solomon describes the agony of living with arthritis, and believes it is a disease that is taken casually by too many people.

And indeed it may be. We watch television commercials that promise arthritis relief with just a few pills. Yet do most people really know what arthritis is? Actually, arthritis is not one disease, but 120 different diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, lupus and fibromyalgia to name a few. It also includes conditions people don't generally associate with arthritis such as Lyme disease, gout, tendonitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and scleraderma.

With so many types of arthritis, it's critical to select a physician experienced in the full spectrum of arthritis conditions. "It's a proven fact that an early, accurate diagnosis is a person's best defense in managing arthritis," says Wendy McBrair, director of the William and Elizabeth Stretch Center for the Treatment of Arthritis, which is the designated Southern New Jersey Regional Arthritis Center at Virtua Health.

While arthritis appears in many forms and degrees of severity, the type most of us are familiar with is osteoarthritis. This is the one that almost all of us will get. It is a breakdown of the cartilage in the joints, part of the aging process and the years of wear and tear our bodies take. For those with mild symptoms, taking non-prescription pain medications like ibuprofen (Tylenol) or naproxen (Advil and Aleve) could help. But when pain inhibits a person's lifestyle, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Naprosyn, Relafen and Indocin) may be prescribed. For those who have experienced stomach-related side effects with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, there are two newer, more promising medications: the COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex and Vioxx).

While not as common as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is by far a much more debilitating condition. While researchers aren't sure why, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks the cells inside of a person's joints, causing severe pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in those joints. New on the horizon for patients with this form of arthritis are biologic agents such as monoclonal antibody therapy. Though still under investigation, this new class of medication promises to offer substantial relief and is hoped to be available soon.

Virtua Health offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient arthritis services including medical and surgical intervention, physical and occupational therapy and a comprehensive, year-round community education program. The Arthritis Center sponsors programs throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties.

With headquarters at Virtua's new William G. Rohrer Center for HealthFitness, the Arthritis Center offers state-of-the-art arthritis exercise programs. It's water-exercise program features a pool heated to 94 degrees Fahrenheit, complete with a chair lift into it. The land program, which is equally impressive, helps those in pain learn to move more easily. Indeed, the Arthritis Center is a superior resource for those who suffer with arthritis every day of their lives.

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