Gout was once known as â€rich man’s disease’ or, sometimes, â€the disease of kings’. This was because its cause was believed to be over-indulgence of alcohol and rich foods such as sugary treats, meat, and seafood, which only the well-off could afford to eat. While the over-consumption of such foods can certainly contribute to the onset of gout, its true cause is now known to be either the under-excretion (getting rid of too little) of, or the over-production (producing too much) of, uric acid. Diet is only thought to directly cause up to 12% of cases of gout these days, with genetic disposition, physical trauma, injury or surgery also playing a part in some cases Drinking coffee, sufficient vitamin C, and general physical fitness all apparently protect from the disease, at least to a certain degree. The symptoms of gout are hot, swollen, arthritic joints, primarily in the base of the big toe. The swelling is painful, and occurs for a few hours at a time or at least is worst for a few hours, primarily at night (this is due to a lower blood temperature in the body at night). While some cases will need medication (primarily NSAIDs, or non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) are used, many sufferers can fight off the disorder with changes of lifestyle, such as reducing alcohol and fructose intake, losing weight generally (in obese sufferers) and increasing fluid and vitamin C intake, together with greater exercise levels. The first attack will usually only last a few days, but without treatment of some kind further attacks will likely occur within a year or so. Other foot pain, such as that caused by straightforward arthritis, can be confused with gout, but the frequency and shortness of the episodes is usually enough to differentiate gout from other foot pain. However, gout does often occur in conjunction with other disorders, and may be caused or exacerbated by similar lifestyle choices, in which case addressing the latter will likely result in an overall health improvement. Holistic treatment centers like AceRehab strive to heal the entire person (and not just treat the immediate symptoms) with a combination of the most proven effective procedures available today. If you suffer from foot pain for example, the immediate pain can be dealt with using acupuncture rather than potentially addictive pharmaceutical drugs that carry the risk of causing side effects in other parts of the body. Likewise, massage therapy and various acupressure techniques can also be very helpful in reducing pain, enhancing blood circulation, curing general musculature and tissue issues, and of course, inducing relaxation. Besides the obvious benefits of reducing stress levels, massages have been shown to stimulate regions of the brain the can lead to enhanced brain function and promotion of healing. In concert, physical therapy would be used to correct posture, and improve musculoskeletal strength and flexibility in the problem area to prevent re-injury. Meanwhile the exercises and lessons learned will be applicable to the rest of your body and will in fact make a positive impact in your entire lifestyle. Think of it as positive side-effects that will ripple out to benefit your overall health.
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