All About Osteoarthritis and Women

By Jeanie Lerche Davis

WebMD Feature

Reviewed By Charlotte Mathis, MD

If you've just been diagnosed with osteoarthritisosteoarthritis (OA), you're not alone. Many women past age 50 discover OA is the reason for their creaking knees, aching backs, and sore fingers. Suddenly life is all about osteoarthritis -- but luckily, arthritisarthritis doesn't have to take control.

Arthritis is "the most common form of disability. It's also a natural part of aging," says Primal Kaur, MD, director of the Osteoporosis Clinic at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

In the U.S., one in five adults has osteoarthritis -- 24 million women and 17 million men, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Continue Reading ...

ASG-SLC Next meeting & Summer Vacation 2007 (no meetings)

The next Arthritis Support Group of South Lake County meeting will take place May 4th, Friday, at 12-1:30PM, located in the National Training Center/ Education Department on the South Lake Hospital campus in Clermont. Elizabeth Morse, MDiv, Spiritual Care Coordinator at South Lake Hospital, will be giving a presentation on “Relaxation and Guided Imagery”. She is licensed as a Guided Imagery specialist and is very knowledgeable about reducing chronic pain thru relaxation. Come join us and maybe leave with LESS pain! Bring a friend, sweater and snack. Fee: FREE. Brochures, pamphlets and literature are available during the meeting.

We will not meet during the summer (June, July & August) and resume our monthly support group meetings starting again on September 7th, Friday with Dr. Kenneth Stark, Rheumatologist, as our special guest speaker.

For more information call Meg King (352) 243-2098.

REMINDER: Next Meeting December 1st, 2006, Friday

Arthritis Support Group of South Lake County

DATE: December 1st, Friday

TIME: 12:00 – 1:30 PM FEE: Free

LOCATION: National Training Center
Education Department
1109 Citrus Tower Blvd.
Clermont, FL 34711

TOPIC: "Tips 'n Tricks on how to Survive the Holidays"

Welcome to everyone that is effected by Arthritis (100 + Types),
Family, friends, medical, community businesses & college students.

Restless Leg Syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder characterized by sensations in the lower legs which lead to discomfort unless the legs are moved. Information on the cause, symptoms and treatment of restless legs syndrome. Although the relationship is unclear, several rheumatic conditions are associated with restless legs syndrome including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia... read more ... http://arthritis.about.com/

How to ease Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS):

Here's How:

1. Gently massage your legs, especially the calves toward the heart. Use liniment if you like.
2. Take a warm bath. If you have one, try a whirlpool bath.
3. Take a mild pain reliever in the evening when the sensations first set in.
4. Try some moderate exercise earlier in the day. Don't overdo. Strenuous exercise may aggravate the problem.
5. Avoid alcohol. Not only does it sometimes aggravate the restless legs, it also causes fragmented sleep.
6. Avoid caffeine. It can keep you awake and make your misery all the worse.
7. Nicotine is a stimulant and can worsen your problem as well as keep you awake.
8. Taking a multi vitamin/mineral supplement is sometimes helpful (magnesium might be helpful). For more information see the Arthritis Foundation's Arthritis Today's Vitamin Guide.
9. Cold compresses often alleviate the crawly sensation.
10. Talk to your doctor about medications. Something you are taking may be aggravating or even causing the syndrome.
11. Also talk to your doctor about some of the drugs that have proven effective in the treatment of restless legs.
12. If all else fails, try walking away the misery.

Tips:

1. Restless legs syndrome is difficult to deal with but is not life threatening.
2. Good sleep hygiene, as in all sleep disorders, is always advisable.
3. If you can't sleep at night, and you can manage, it, try daytime naps when the misery has lessened.

Official web site for Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation: http://www.rls.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=178&srcid=-2

Another Story about Linda and her
creepy-crawly legs

Linda Sieh and her family live in Naper, Nebraska, a town of 110 people about two miles from the South Dakota border. It's quite a drive to Sioux Falls and even farther to Omaha, the two closest big cities. It was on one of these long drives 11 years ago that Linda's legs starting twitching, forcing her to pull over and stretch them. Later that year, her legs began jerking while sharp "creepy crawly" sensations shot through them. Bedtime became a dreaded event -- at night the jerking was so powerful and painful, it left her unable to sleep. At her worst point, Linda slept standing up five nights in a row. The exhaustion and confusion were making her life insufferable.

"I was so depressed," Linda says. "I thought I was the only person in the world who had this stupid thing; I had no idea what was happening." Continue ... RX.Magazine