The Good Health Centre has been successfully treating many of the different forms of Arthritis & similar inflammatory conditions for over 17 years:

We don't use any drugs; only mainly natural oral and topical medications prescribed individually to patients according to our Arthritis Protocol.

SOME TYPES OF ARTHRITIS (click each type below for more information):

• Osteo Arthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Gout
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
• Fibromyalgia (FM)

Osteo Arthritis (also known as “wear & Tear Arthritis”) is considered to be the most common form of Arthritis and it is more likely to occur with age. It may be in any of your joints, but most commonly in your hips, knees or fingers and is mainly the result of weight-bearing activities.

Risk factors for osteoarthritis include:

• Being overweight
• Previously injuring the affected joint
• Using the affected joint in a repetitive action that puts stress on the joint (sports people, dancers, builders & others who perform repetitive movements are all especially at risk)
• Insufficient nutrients coming from the diet &/or blocking of the uptake of certain nutrients due to interaction with drugs or other inability of the body to absorb nutrients.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA - in adults only) – This is a long - term disease which may cause inflammation of the joints, surrounding tissues & often other organs. It is an auto-immune (usually genetically- predisposing) condition whose cause is unknown. It is characterised by the disease confusing its own tissue for foreign tissue, which it sets out to destroy. RA can occur at any age, and women are more often affected than men.

It usually affects the joints equally on both sides of the body. There is usually a particular incidence of this condition in the joints of the wrists, fingers, knees, feet and ankles. Hormones and sometimes infection can also contribute to the condition. top

Gout is a type of painful Arthritis which results in uric acid being deposited in the joints, especially the feet, lower legs and knee joint areas. The Uric acid deposits in the lower limb due to either an overproduction of the acid or a reduced ability for the body to remove it through the kidneys.

Either way, the cause is mainly due to the body being imbalanced internally which may have a variety of main influences such as:

• excessive alcohol use,
• diabetes,
• obesity,
• menopause,
• kidney disease,
• high blood pressure,
• drugs which interfere with uric acid excretion, and
• foods high in acidity,  or
• other reasons relating to the inability of the body to remove wastes or reabsorption of wastes through the intestines due to bowel concerns.

Gout is more common in males and postmenopausal women, and to a great extent is very treatable in most cases.

It is common for the condition to present during the night as an excruciating, throbbing pain which feels like the area is being crushed. This is accompanied by inflammation and heat and the whole area can feel extremely tender to the touch, or when walked upon. While Gout can present as an acute attack, which recedes over a few days, Chronic Gout attacks can occur more frequently and may have longer duration.

With the chronic condition, joint deformity is common accompanied with reduced mobility in the joints & uric acid deposits can develop in cartilage, other soft tissues, & in the kidneys after many years of affliction, leading to kidney stones and chronic kidney failure.top

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) - ( in children) - was formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). It is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children under the age of 16 years. As the word idiopathic suggests, the cause is unknown but it is believed that it may occur in genetically susceptible children and relates heavily to environmental factors.

JIA in children may be transient and self-limited or it may be evident in a chronic and therefore more significant form. JIA usually significantly differs from most other arthritis types that are commonly seen in adults (eg. osteo / rheumatoid arthritis). It also differs from other types of arthritis that can present in childhood which are considered to be chronic conditions (eg. psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis).

Symptoms of JIA include lethargy, reduced physical activity, poor appetite, limping, and children may also present with flu-like symptoms that persist. Persistent swelling of the affected joint, which usually involve knees, ankles, wrists and small joints of the hands and feet but may also occur in the spine, sacroiliac joints, shoulder, hip and jaw. It is not possible to determine the potential severity or duration of Juvenile Arthritis, or which joints are likely to be affected, but many who are affected by it gradually recover without permanent damage or disability.top

Fibromyalgia (FM) is not, medically - speaking, a type of Arthritis, but yet is often mistaken for other arthritic or rheumatic conditions due to some similarities regarding pain and mobility for the sufferer.

Fibromyalgia is a musculo-skeletal disorder which is classified by the presence of chronic pain and is accompanied by a significant painful response to even gentle touch (tactile allodynia), thereby implying some involvement with the nervous system itself.

Some primary symptoms are: chronic widespread pain or pain which is localized in areas such as the shoulders, neck, lower back, hips, or other areas. Many sufferers also experience varying degrees of facial & jaw pain, eye pain, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, and fluctuating visual clarity.

Many patients have mild symptoms beginning in childhood that are often misdiagnosed as growing pains. Symptoms may be often aggravated by unrelated illness or changes in the weather. Many people with fibromyalgia find that, at least some of the time, the condition prevents them from performing normal activities such as driving a car or walking up stairs.

Fibromyalgia does not cause inflammation as is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis.

The condition usually presents along with associated symptoms which may include debilitating fatigue, disturbed sleep and joint stiffness, but commonly sufferers also experience a range of other symptoms: difficulty in swallowing, bowel and bladder problems, breathing difficulties, numbness and tingling and there are often also perceived problems with movement, clear thought & anxiety.

Patients often experience what is colloquially known as “brain fog” with accompanying reduced ability to concentrate, problems with short & long-term memory & memory consolidation, lowered attention span and depressive symptoms. It is thought by some that a primary cause is sleep - related and that many other symptoms above are secondary.

Other symptoms often attributed to fibromyalgia that may be due to co-existing but possibly unrelated conditions are: myofascial pain syndrome (Chronic Myofascial Pain), cystitis, headaches, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), dermatological disorders, and symptomatic hypoglycemia.

The cause of fibromyalgia is currently unknown, however, there are often familial tendencies and so a genetic predisposition is thought to be most likely. It is believed that stress is also a significant precipitating factor in the development of fibromyalgia. top

What can be done about my condition? Can it be reversed? Can I protect against further damage?? - Come and talk to our Practitioners about your condition:

If you would like to book an appointment, CLICK HERE, or call on : 02 9544 6812

ArthOil may be helpful in relieving the symptoms and pain associated with Arthritis, (Rheumatoid, Osteo & Gout) muscles & joints and with headaches. May also assist in relieving the symptoms of colds and sinus conditions.

To purchase ArthOil, CLICK HERE