- Osteoarthritis -

• Symptoms: Joint inflammation that is painful, warm to the touch, possibly red, swollen, and associated with a loss of function.
  
• Cause of Symptoms: Osteoarthritis develops in a joint when cartilage begins to break down. This can happen from prolonged "wear-and-tear" associated with age, prior injury or damage to the joint from trauma or infection, cartilage that is altered by other disease or cartilage that is genetically weak. Often, a muscle imbalance in the hands occurs from overusing the flexor muscles, which causes them to become strong and short while the opposing extensor muscles become overstretched and weak. This imbalance within and around the joint creates a neuromuscular response that tries to correct and restore balance in the fingers/hands actually creates excessive tension in the joints. This increased tension to the anterior (front) sides of the joints eventually leads to degeneration of the joints and results in arthritis as the cartilage wears down; and due to the increased discomfort, reduces range of motion and causes formation of adhesions within the joints.
  
• Treatment of Symptoms: You may think that exercise and osteoarthritis do not go hand in hand. If so, you would be mistaken. For many years it was thought that if you had arthritis you should not exercise because it would damage your joints. But, research has shown that exercise is an essential tool in managing your arthritis. Regular, moderate exercise with FLEXTEND® can offer a whole host of benefits to people suffering with osteoarthritis of the fingers and hands. (Excludes Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout and other blood pathogens.) Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness, builds strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility and endurance. FLEXTEND® can help increase circulation to the fingers, hand and forearm, improve joint range of motion, flexibility, muscle endurance and strength.