Question : I AM 43 years old and lately, I have been suffering from a stiff neck. It starts suddenly and there is pain with movement. Sometimes, it may be accompanied with fever and even affects
shoulder blade. The stiff neck comes and goes. What should I do? Answer : FROM your description, you may be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is best to visit
doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect
entire body. It is an autoimmune disease, in which
immune system attacks
joints, including
synovial membranes surrounding
lubricating fluid in
joints. Other parts of
body involved are
hands and feet, wrists, ankles, knees and spine.
This disease is characterised by early morning joint stiffness and pain and inflammation in symmetrically located joints. The fingers and toes are usually
first to be affected, though it is not uncommon for pain to spread to
joints throughout
body.
Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include fatigue, low-grade fever, weakness, joint stiffness, vague joint pain and appearance of painful, swollen joints.
Omega-3 oil has been shown to suppress
production of inflammatory compounds secreted by white blood cells, thus showing improvement in
number of tender joints on physical examination and amount of morning stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.