How Inflammation Has Changed My Life!!!

The main reason I am so passionate about treating inflammation and autoimmune diseases with all natural solutions is because I suffer from both.  I was officially diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis about 5 years ago.  I will go into the details about what psoriatic arthritis is and how it affects my life in the paragraphs below, but first I want to talk about treatment options.  The pharmaceutical protocol for treating psoriatic arthritis and most autoimmune diseases is a medicine chest full of oral, injectable, and IV medications, all of which destroy your body’s natural defense systems and cause liver damage along with a whole host of additional side effects.  Let me say that I believe that treatment and medical decision are each individual’s personal choice and responsibility.  I have decided not to walk the pharmaceutical path and to treat my condition with a healthy diet, exercise and all natural supplements.  As a side note, I have worked in the medical community and with major pharmaceutical companies in the past, so I am very educated on clinical research and drug evaluation.

On my website you will find several nutritional supplements that I recommend.  I have worked with the best doctors, biochemist and natural product developers in the business to develop the Nixon Elite line of supplements.  Along the way keeping in mind that I am developing products that help me fight inflammation and live a healthy life without the need or reliance on pharmaceutical drugs.

Here is a little information about my condition.  Psoriatic arthritis is a lifelong disease of the immune system that causes raised, red patches, often with a silvery scale (psoriatic skin lesions) to appear on the skin, as well as pain, stiffness or swelling in joints. It is estimated that approximately 1 million Americans have psoriatic arthritis. The disease may strike at any time, but most often develops between the ages of 30 and 55. If left untreated, people with psoriatic arthritis are at risk of permanent joint damage.

Psoriatic arthritis is a disease of the immune system:

In people with psoriatic arthritis, certain immune cells are activated and produce too much of a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). This protein causes inflammation in the skin, which can cause skin cells to grow too quickly. The skin cells build up and form raised, red patches, often with silvery scales, known as psoriatic lesions. This protein also causes inflammation in the joints, which can create pain and progressive joint damage.

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis:

While psoriatic arthritis is a single disease, it may have many symptoms. It can affect your skin, and it can affect your joints. Psoriatic arthritis may affect the spine, hands, shoulders, elbows, feet, knees, or ankles.

Symptoms include:

• Swelling of an entire finger or toe, which sometimes can cause the fingers or toes to look like sausages
• General joint pain and stiffness
• Swelling in the joints
• Back pain and stiffness (lower back, neck, and upper back)
• Raised, red patches, often with a silvery scale (known as psoriatic skin lesions)
• Changes in the nails: pitting is seen in the fingernails and toenails of 90% of psoriatic arthritis patients

Psoriatic arthritis symptoms can change in severity and vary from person to person. Psoriatic arthritis can affect many joints in the body and can affect different areas of the body in the same person over time. The skin symptoms of psoriatic arthritis often appear before joint symptoms. In fact, up to 30% of psoriasis patients actually have psoriatic arthritis. In some cases, skin symptoms may be present for up to 10 years or more before joint symptoms like pain and swelling appear. In approximately 70% of psoriatic arthritis patients, skin symptoms appear before joint symptoms. Psoriatic arthritis can lead to permanent joint damage, but some treatments can help stop joint damage from progressing.