Chrisanne

Affecting more than 50 million Americans, arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Clearly, arthritis is a problem for many individuals living with any number of forms of the disease, such as gout, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, etc. With May serving as 2011 Arthritis Awareness Month, there is heightened awareness on the issues surrounding arthritis.

Suffering from back pain? According to the American Chiropractic Association 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time. We found this interesting slide show filled with both Myths and Facts about back pain on Web MD. Here's a sampling of what you will find if you watch it.

We've recently written about Reiki for dogs and hydrotherapy for dogs as excellent alternative treatments for dog joint pain. Now comes a story about a New York veterinarian offering acupuncture for dogs. Michelle Bousquet said acupuncture helped relieve her own sciatic pain and now she's using it in her veterinarian practice to help animals with dog joint pain.

Do you pamper your pets? No, really, we're not talking about splurging here or there, buying an extra bone at the pet store or even shopping for an outfit. We're talking lots of pampering when it comes to spending on pets. Heck, do you spend more on your pet's health care than your own – and both of you are relatively healthy?

Dogs with arthritis and dog joint pain have to go through similar stages as people with arthritis and joint pain. There are a lot of similarities between the symptoms, treatment plans, supplements to help alleviate dog arthritis, surgical procedures and other forms of arthritis remedy. Like humans, diet, nutrition and exercise habits are central to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for dogs. Failure to follow the right balance can lead to painful bouts of dog arthritis and dog joint pain.

For people struggling with and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), life is filled with a bevy of challenges, many of which are painful. It's bad enough that rheumatoid arthritis affects people through pain and limited mobility. But rheumatoid arthritis also affects the immune system, attacking the membranes that line the joints. An estimated 1.5 million Americans are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, and disability experts believe the number keeps rising.

Pet obesity is quickly becoming one of the biggest dangers to pets that we've seen in a very long time. What's most dangerous, though, is that pet obesity is an epidemic that is largely the blame of people. What's sad is that we all know the drill. We all know overfeeding our pets is a dangerous activity yet we do it anyways.

As we enter the month of March, The American Dietetic Association is hoping we will all take a closer look at the foods we are eating and analyze our plates to ensure we have a balanced diet. This year's theme for National Nutrition Month is "Eat Right with Color." National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign found at Eatright.org which focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Valentine's Day is the holiday of love and many of us will enjoy it with our pets. The ASPCA says each year their poison control experts see a rise in cases around this time, many involving chocolate and lilies, a flower that's potentially fatal to cats. We have some tips to keep the holiday safe for pets.

During these cold winter months it's hard enough for humans to stay warm, imagine how it must feel to be a dog or cat. So, what can we do as pet owners to make sure our pets have the best possible care during these frigid winter days? Here are some tips from the experts.