To help advocate for World Arthritis Day 2020 (12^th of October), we thought it would be a great idea to answer some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding arthritis. We also have a 10% discount code you can use when buying Tenura products through our website.

Can Arthritis be Cured? / Can Arthritis be Treated?

Currently, a cure is not known for arthritis. However, there are many treatments available that can decelerate and help minimise the pain and other symptoms surrounding arthritis. If you believe you or someone you know has arthritis, seek a doctor’s advice immediately.

To treat arthritis, you can use prescribed medication. There are some lifestyle changes you can make too, such as spending more time in the sun, as Vitamin D helps maintain healthy bones and allows the autoimmune system to work correctly. Sunshine is especially helpful for those with rheumatoid arthritis which is often caused by an autoimmune response in the body. You can read more about this in our "Activities in the Sun for People with Arthritis" blog.

There are various operations doctors can perform depending on the type of arthritis and its severity, with the well-known being, joint replacement surgery. During this surgery, a prosthetic joint replaces an arthritic joint.

Can Arthritis Spread?

Rheumatoid arthritis is currently perceived to spread via a person’s blood vessels. If a person has rheumatoid arthritis their arthritic joint releases synovial cells contained in the synovial sac (the sac lubricate joints to avoid friction and wear), these cells travel around the body, affecting other joints-according to a study at the Kerckhoff-Clinic, Germany.

Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis does not spread through the body. Due to this, a person with osteoarthritis may overcompensate, heavily using other joints to remain balanced and mobile. Overcom­pen­sating can cause those other joints to have excess stress put through them, which can be damaging, and this is why it is crucial to seek a doctor’s advice as soon as symptoms of arthritis occur.

What does Arthritis Look Like?

Arthritis can cause edema (swelling) in the affected areas, along with red-ish skin. In acute cases, joints are misshapen, so much so, the affected area takes on a new shape resulting in a crooked finger or toe. Knobbly abscesses can contribute to the malformed appearance, these abscesses are the body trying to protect itself, as the joints wear down, the body attempts to regrow the bone, and it doesn’t always grow in the shape it once was. Another indication of arthritis is small mucous cysts that develop on the hands.

What does Arthritis Feel Like?

Initially, it is said to feel achy, similar to a burning sensation which comes and goes depending on your activity level. In the later stages, the pain tends not to subside and remains in the affected joints. Around affected joints, the skin may be warm to the touch due to inflammation caused by irritated joints. Joints tend to become stiff and seize up, which is why the NHS recommends exercise.

How can you Participate in World Arthritis Day 2020?

We are glad you asked, there are many ways you can support World Arthritis Day. You can raise awareness and spread knowledge through your family, friends and social media. You can participate in local healthcare organisation’s charity events, appeals or fundraisers. Perhaps you could start a fundraiser yourself or participate in a fun run.

One of the ways Tenura will be supporting World Arthritis Day is through our marketing channels. We will be posting helpful information all month regarding Arthritis and Tenura arthritis aids. You can learn more about Tenura arthritis aids through our blog.

We are also offering a special 10% discount on Tenura products that can be excellent adaptive equipment for people with arthritis in their hands and fingers. Type WAD10 at checkout.

The Tenura products that you can claim the 10% discount on are as follows:

Tenura Non-Slip Coasters and Anti-Slip Mats

Non-slip coasters and anti-slip mats provide a place to rest things such as mugs and plates, the silicone grips onto the objects which keeps them held in position. A person with arthritis may find these anti-slip mats to be helpful, as you can use them in conjunction with the silicone jar and bottle openers to open containers with one hand, allowing you to use the less arthritic hand.

 

Tenura Silicone Jar and Bottle Opener

Jar and bottle openers enable you to open containers with ease. Tenura silicone has grip-enhancing properties that allow you to get a firm grasp of lids. For a person living with arthritis, these openers can be a great help as pain, swelling, or other flare-up symptoms can make objects a struggle to hold.

 Tenura Silicone Cutlery Grips

Arthritis can cause reduced movement in your hands and fingers that makes holding onto cutlery difficult. By sliding Tenura cutlery grips onto utensils, you no longer require the full motion used to clutch cutlery as the surface area is now greater.

 

Tenura Silicone Non-Slip Grip Strips and Rolls

Create bespoke arthritis aids using Tenura grip strips or rolls. You can cut Tenura silicone down to the size and shape required. Many of our customers who live with arthritis use the grip strips around handles of cupboards, pans, DIY and gardening tools, to mention a few. Tenura silicone is both a non-slip material and grip-enhancing, which is why it is perfect for use on handles, you can get a firm hold without the risk of things slipping out of your hands.

 

All the products listed above are made from Tenura silicone, which means they are:

• Antimicrobial (prevents bacteria harbouring)
• Washable by hand or dishwasher (withstanding temperatures up to 250°C)
• Non-toxic (safe to use in all environments)
• Latex-free

To stay up-to-date with all the events and activities during World Arthritis Day 2020, you can follow the hashtags:

• #WAD20
• #WorldA­rt­hri­tisDay
• #ArthritisDay
• #Arthri­tis­Da­y2020
• #Cure­Art­hri­tisWAD

And follow us on our social media channels; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and don’t forget to tag us in your World Arthritis Day activities and claim the 10% discount to use on our website with the code WAD10.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a joint disease which can cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis spreads due to a faulty autoimmune response where your body will start to attack many different cells around your joints, thinking it’s a foreign organism. This can make many day-to-day tasks much harder and unpleasant to perform. Rheumatoid arthritis never stays exclusively in one place but can spread to other joints around the body quickly, and it does this by travelling through blood vessels in the body, this was shown in a study at the Kerckho­ff-clinic. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the synovial tissues in joints, these create synovial fluid which is needed for normal joint function. Your immune system then attacks this tissue causing severe damage to the synovial joints stopping them from creating the fluid necessary for normal joint function. Further studies have shown that the majority of Rheumatoid arthritis patients contract this disease from their genetics. In fact, 101 genetic areas have been identified that associate with the RA disease. You can explore more information on RA you can visit the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society or NHS site.

But what causes rheumatoid arthritis?

However, there is a large amount of research which pushes the idea that RA isn’t just contracted genetically. Several items we willingly take into our bodies can cause the onset of RA. One of the most notable causes of rheumatoid arthritis, especially in women more than men, is Hormones. Hormones can have a big effect on the development of rheumatoid arthritis. But, oddly enough, RA doesn’t develop during pregnancy but can develop shortly after birth. This shows some hormonal involvement and is why researchers believe that the cause of RA is partly hormonal.

Another factor which seems to affect the development of rheumatoid arthritis is smoking. Smoking appears to increase the chances of developing RA and shows signs that it can aggravate already present RA creating painful nodules on the joints in your body. Although cigarettes can have a positive product for those with RA, it seems to have beneficial effects on pain and joint tenderness. This suggests why such a large number of those who have rheumatoid arthritis are smokers and could find it hard to give up due to the pain relief it provides. Smoking can also create nasty flare-ups which, for a short period of time, will create a great deal of pain with possible inflammation in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects the area near bone and cartilage, so inflammation can cause a great deal of pain with even a small movement. A red meat-rich diet also has links to RA. Researchers suggest that a more fruit-filled diet will help to prevent RA, as rheumatoid arthritis is less common in those who have a high vitamin C intake.

How can Tenura help?

Tenura products are designed to help with joint stiffness and make everyday tasks simple again. One perfect example of this is our silicone jar and bottle openers. These high-quality devices allow you to create a strong non-slip surface around many different products, this non-slip surface will make lid and tops much easier to open. This is due to the strong non-slip bond our material creates with jar and bottle lids. This level of non-slip grip cannot be rivalled with normal household equipment, making Tenura jar and bottle openers a vital piece of equipment in the home.

Are you interested in Tenura products?

Please visit our website, as we can provide you with a large amount of information on how the different products can be used and more benefits of the silicone jar and bottle openers. Tenura jar and bottle openers are available from the Tenura website in three colours, blue, red or yellow.

At the Gairdner Foundation International Award ceremony in Canada this year, two of Britain’s leading biomedical researchers, where presented with The Canada Gairdner Award for their research into which molecules cause inflammation and destruction of joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Professor Sir Ravinder Maini and Professor Sir Marc Feldmann have been working in the biomedical field for decades, and the award presented was for the research they both performed in the 1980s. These Gentlemen discovered anti-TNF (Tumour necrosis factor) treatment for RA. Anti TNF therapy is now used to block anti bodies, allowing a swift improvement for suffers of rheumatoid arthritis. TNF is a protein messenger molecule, which drives the inflammation in the joints, so by creating the drug, they could prevent inflammation and further damage by effectively blocking TNF.

This research was crucial to enabling major development in effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, and since then has had an incredible impact on the world, allowing the correct treatment to be given out to RA suffers  worldwide, giving millions of people a better quality of life. Identifying which molecules cause inflammation and destruction of joints meant that these Gentlemen provided the stepping-stones for organisations to create treatments to try to break down these molecules building in joints, allowing the pain and inflammation to subside for a period. By regularly taking the medication, arthritis suffers no longer have to deal with the pain and difficulty that everyday tasks created for them previously.

Tenura shares this vision of making life easier for those that suffer with impairments to strength of grip, which adds unnecessary difficulties to everyday life. Our silicone jar and bottle openers are just two of our products dedicated to those who suffer from pains in joints, making certain tasks easier to do, and relieving the pain that normally comes with them.

We congratulate Professors Ravinder Maini and Marc Feldmann for their efforts to help people suffering from RA, and outstanding research into the causes of arthritis.