Arthritis Pain Relief

According to the Centers For Disease Control, arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability. Based on 2003-2005 data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an estimated 46 million (22%) of adults have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis, while 19 million (9% of all adults) have arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation. Among the 23 million adults with arthritis in this age group, arthritis-attributable work limitations affect about 1 in 3 people. With the aging of the U.S. population, the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis is expected to increase in the coming decades. By the year 2030, an estimated 67 million (25% of the projected total adult population) adults aged 18 years and older will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, compared with the 46 million adults in 2003–2005. Two-thirds of those with arthritis will be women. Also by 2030 an estimated 25 million adults (37% of adults with arthritis or 9.3% of all U.S. adults) will report arthritis-attributable activity limitations. These estimates may be conservative, as they do not account for the current trends in obesity, which may contribute to future cases of osteoarthritis.

In the study "Self-reported Arthritis-Related Disruptions in Sleep and Daily Life and the Use of Medical, Complementary, and Self-care Strategies for Arthritis" 937 people with self-reported arthritis were questioned about their limitations from arthritis and how they treated it, revealed that more than 30 percent had difficulty sleeping because of arthritis. Joanne Jordan, MD, a rheumatologist and epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the study's lead author, noted in Arthritis Today that "Frequently, the thing to do to treat the arthritis is to improve the sleep disruption." The study notes that "…physicians and health care providers must recognize that therapy of sleep disturbance may sometimes be required for improvement in pain. That is, the need for relief of sleep problems and other arthritis-related disruptions in daily life may be at least as important as the need for pain relief."

Proper sleep restores your energy so that you can better manage your pain. In addition, it rests your joints to reduce pain and swelling. This means is that if you're looking for alternative treatments for arthritis pain relief, part of your solution may be closer than you think. The challenge for arthritis sufferers is finding ways to achieve quality sleep. This is where Cuddle Ewe™ comes into play. Our all-wool mattress toppers, personal wool comforters, and natural wool pillows are designed to provide you with cushioned comfort that doesn't "bottom out" as synthetic, cotton, and down products do. Because wool is so resilient, it provides support and helps distribute weight away from pressure points, in effect providing you with a major step toward a natural arthritis remedy by allowing your body to rest and heal.

You can find more information about and help in managing your arthritis by contacting an Arthritis Foundation State Chapter.