Leflunomide. Me

Arthritis natural remedies is the subject I decided to study not long ago. I’ve been taking leflunomide for quite long now and the medicine did its job pretty well – the disease is not progressing anymore and I’m in control of my joints. That is why until recently it didn’t occur to my mind that arthritis natural remedies could do a better job.

To be honest, since I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis my lifestyle hasn’t changed much, except for less loading of my joints. And I literally had no time of strength to think about other ways.  And it was my friend who persuaded me that natural arthritis natural remedies could produce even better effect that traditional treatment. Or, at least it makes sense to combine both. She has her own story of successful natural treatment from a serious disease; I’ll find half an hour and share that story someday. What I realized from her experience is that arthritis natural remedies and treatment in general include not just herbs, but also diet and global lifestyle changes. In other words, treatment with herbs and other natural substances work perfectly but it’s  just one side, the other important side is to remove things that worsen or can potentially worsen the disease and your health in general. With healthy lifestyle the effect from herbs will be much stronger. I know that leflunomide suppresses immune system and of course there is nothing good about it so the idea of herbal treatment sounds reasonable.

At the moment I’m studying some diet and exercise recommendations for my case and I’m also considering some herbal remedies with no side effects. I’ll post my findings on arthritis natural remedies a bit later, either added to this post or as a new one. And I will post updates on my progress with natural treatment as well. Hopefully, I will help someone will find the way to arthritis natural remedies and combat the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of joints which in most cases affects the lining of the joint or synovium. Often, the disease continues indefinitely, progresses and results in long-term joint damage accompanied by chronic pain, loss of function or even disability. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means that the inflammation is caused by the hyperactivity of the immune system which mistakenly attacks the body’s tissues in the manner it is supposed to attack invaders. Besides joints, rheumatoid arthritis can affect other organs in the body. About 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops in three stages. The first stage is characterized by swelling around the joint , pain, swelling of the synovium, warmth and redness around it, stiffness of the joint. At this stage x-rays will not show any destructive changes, only the swelling of joint lining.
During the second stage inflamed synovium tissue starts to proliferate: synovium cells start rapid division and growing into joint cavity across articular cartilage, gradually narrowing and destroying it.
In the third stage, the inflamed cells release enzymes that cause erosion of bone and cartilage. Often, the joint becomes deformed and looses alignment. The pain becomes more severe and the ability to move is lost.
As of today, there is no specific cure for rheumatoid arthritis that guarantees recovery. However, certain drugs (including leflunomide), joint protection and self-management techniques, as well as diagnosing the disease at early stages and following the doctor’s recommendations allow to limit joint damage, keep it under control and live a productive and happy life.