The Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor

Volume 6
Number 1
January 2007

January 2007

9 Steps To Pain Relief You Can Take Now
Coping with arthritis pain can be a full-time and frustrating pastime. The effort is apt to be especially fruitless if you try to ease your discomfort in solitude, relying only on over-the-counter drugs, foregoing consultation with a physician, and thereby missing out on the abundant medical and surgical treatments that might provide the relief you desperately need.

It May Be Impingement, Not Arthritis
Textbook illustrations of hip joints show perfectly shaped bones moving in smooth harmony. Unfortunately, reality can throw you a curve, giving you hip joints with too much bone in a key location where the ball of the femur sits within the cup of the pelvis (acetabulum).

Ending Elbow Pain
The pain may have started with an ache or stiffness in your elbow. Then it became persistent and now it’s unbearable. You’ve tried anti-inflammatory medicines and physical therapy, but you’re not getting any better

Can Aromatherapy Relieve Pain?
The scent of lavender in bloom, the smell of freshly cut green apples, or a brewing cup of chamomile tea are among the aromas that elicit feelings of comfort and relaxation in many of us.

5 Ways To Save On Drug Costs
Split pills. Ask your doctor to prescribe your pills in double strength. Then, using a plastic pill-cutter (available at any pharmacy), split them in half. Note: Some medications time-release pills, capsules, and coated tablets lose their effectiveness when split.

Milk, Good For Bones, Fights RA Inflammation Too
Your mother always knew a glass of milk would produce strong bones. What she didn’t know at least until recently is that milk, besides being a proven calcium-producer, may also ward off the pain of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Reducing Your Risk Of ‘Bone Death’
Your bones, like all living tissue, need a constant source of oxygen-rich blood. If the blood supply is disrupted, cells in the bone begin to die and osteonecrosis, or bone death, results. Ultimately, the bone weakens and collapses.