September is arthritis month in Canada. We take this opportunity to speak on this important subject that affects 4.6 million Canadians. By 2036, up to 7.5 million Canadians will be affected by arthritis; or one in five. The increase in the number of people affected is of course due to the aging of the population. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, affects up to 65% of people over 65 and 80% of people 80 and over. The costs associated with arthritis in Canada, as a whole, are estimated to be $ 33 billion.

The term arthritis covers a large number of joint problems, including arthritis and gout, which are the most common. We briefly defined rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis in our first article on the topic: Joint pain – some explanation.

Generally, all forms of arthritis are related to inflammation: “arthro” = joint, “ite” = inflammation. The recommendations for exercise, diet, improved sleep and weight loss apply to all forms of arthritis. Physical activity, in addition to improving joint mobility and reducing pain, also reduces inflammatory processes. The diet recommendations were part of our article on osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis – a few tips. When it comes to sleep, it’s always best to get a deep, restful sleep, without using chemical sleeping pills. Good sleep improves repair processes and also reduces inflammation. When it comes to weight loss, there are two basic reasons that are interesting to know and that can become motivators.

First, our body weight is directly supported by our joints. Obviously, 30 or 40 pounds too much can have a big influence on our knees or our spine. Second, the excess weight usually located around the waist or internal organs, is an inflammatory tissue. Yes, during an abnormal weight gain, excess weight, there is the formation of large white blood cells which attract macrophages (immune system defense cells) in the adipose mass. These large fat cells and macrophages will produce pro-inflammatory messengers (known as cytokines) that will increase levels of inflammation throughout the body. Thus, gaining weight puts pressure on our joints, but also, creates inflammation. We have explained in a simplified way the role of inflammation in relation to pain in the article: Understanding inflammation and pain while aging.

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, do not trust the symptoms, the information you find on the internet or the comments of your friends. It is important to consult a professional in order to have the right diagnosis and to be oriented towards the right treatments. The Arthritis Society website gives you access to a lot of information you may find useful, as well as a tool to help you document your symptoms well so that you can discuss with your healthcare professional. The tool is available on the internet at the following link: Arthritis Symptom Check Tool.

Among the Vitoli® products, Vitoli® Joints can help. The two ingredients in this product act in synergy and come from patented technologies which allow the active elements to be concentrated in order to provide the necessary dose in a single capsule. One Vitoli® Joint capsule is equivalent to 17 non-concentrated plant capsules. A bottle of 30 capsules is therefore the equivalent of 510 non-concentrated plant capsules. It would be impossible to give the necessary dose without resorting to highly specialized ingredients. Vitoli® Joints can be used for different types of pain involving inflammation and for different types of joints.

Hopefully this additional information will be useful to you or your family members. We remain of course available to answer all your questions. It is always a pleasure to help you.