The Arthritis Handbook

This comprehensive, but also highly practical and useful book deals with the basics what arthritis is, how it develops, and how readers can manage it. This is the first guide to osteoarthritis that focuses on how a combination of diet, exercise, and supplementation can be used to prevent and treat the disease. It will provide readers with the knowledge they need to take the appropriate steps to return to a healthy, pain-free, active life.The Arthritis Book begins by dispelling the common myth that arthritis pain is an inevitable part of getting older. The truth is that arthritis pain is no more inevitable than cancer or heart disease. By taking the appropriate steps, readers can reduce their chances of ever developing arthritis, and reduce the associated pain and disability if they already have it.There are numerous ways to prevent and treat arthritis. Getting back to a pain-free life requires a combination of common sense advice, an appropriate diet, targeted exercise, and a few carefully selected supplements. The Arthritis Book takes the reader on a detailed tour of how to combat arthritis by these simple means, and in many cases to avoid the use of medications, injection therapy, and surgery. When these more aggressive therapies are necessary, emphasis is placed on using them as a “window of opportunity” to return to exercise and nutrition as preventative tools to keep the disease from worsening further.Detailed exercises with photographs can be done at home, at a gym, or under a trainer’s or physical therapist’s supervision. Nutritional strategies are presented in detail, along with suggestions for ways of keeping on track. Some of the advice is common sense; some is less obvious. Each topic discussed is accompanied by information about why it is important.In today’s increasing subspecialization of medicine, it becomes even more important for patients to know more about their ailments so that they can take an active role in discussing various treatment options with their doctors. This book enables them to do just that. The Arthritis Book provides readers with the information they need to advocate for themselves and to get the quality care they deserve.