You Can Beat the Pain
| Because of your wrath there
is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
. . . My back is filled with searing pain. Ps. 38:3, 7, NIV. |
Practically
everyone, if they live long enough, will have some arthritis. It can be
caused by something external that gets into the system, such as a virus
or a bacteria, and affects the body by damaging the tissues. That's why
keeping your immune system healthy is crucial.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the
crippling type. It can create swelling in any of the 200 synovial joints
in the body, half of which are in the back. When the joints become inflamed,
the joint lining swells. Fluid pours out, disrupting the normal function
of the joint as well as causing quite a bit of pain, tenderness, and the
sensation of heat. Treatment for arthritis involves physical therapy, appropriate
rest, splints, devices to assist the joints to keep them from being stressed,
hot and cold compresses, and gentle exercise. Judicious use of medication
can also be of help.
Rheumatism differs from arthritis,
because it affects surrounding tissues outside the joint itself, including
muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the bursas, the lubricating sacs around
joints. Four lifestyle factors trigger it: overstress, overweight, underexercise,
and the most important one—lack of sound sleep.
You can prevent the most
common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, to some extent through the following
approaches. Lose weight—the extra stress on the joints doesn't help. The
health of the cartilage is the next most important thing, and that, of
course, is related to its use. Cartilage (the pad between the bones) doesn't
have a blood supply, so it has to get its nutrition from the joint lining,
which occurs only when we use the joint. So we need exercise. Normal daily
activities are adequate for most people, but we recommend that patients
work up to 20 minutes of brisk walking four times a week. In addition,
watch your diet, especially avoiding high fat and protein consumption.
Just as moving painful joints
is important in reducing the pain, so it is in the spiritual realm. Dealing
with guilt, bitterness, and anger, although painful, is the only way to
experience true spiritual health. Don't let pain keep you from doing what
you know you should!
| Challenge: If you're bothered by arthritis,
try a radical change in lifestyle: lose weight, eat fresh fruits and vegetables
(eliminate fat and too much protein), lower stress, exercise, and get plenty
of sleep! |
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