Arthritis is a condition of inflammation in or around a joint. By understand inflammation, we better understand arthritis. For starters, the word inflammation originates from the Latin inflammare which means “to set on fire.” Inflammation is a term that is centuries old that is used to describe the constellation of dolor (pain), calor (heat), rubio (redness), tumor (swelling) and functio laesa (loss of function).  Despite this seemingly straight forward definition, it has not always been clear how to treat and heal someone of the challenges due to inflammation. Therefore, we first need to appreciate the role of inflammation.

Inflammation is an important aspect of our immune system to promote healing for it recruits the body’s defense system in the setting of an injury.  However, there is a fine line that may be crossed such that inflammation may attack our bodies as it may promote further injury and disease progression. The question of whether inflammation is helpful or harmful to healing can only be answered after inflammation is defined based on set of events and history that has lead up to its collection of symptoms.  Whereas use of anti-inflammatory prescriptions for arthritis are the cornerstone of medical science and clinical practice, their ability to control pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function has met with mixed results.

It was a revelation to me when I learned that my left knee inflammation responded to “anti-inflammatory living.”  Although I have always appreciated the advice for routine medical checkup, and a balanced lifestyle that incorporates joy, good nutrition, proper exercise, and restorative sleep, it was upon immersing myself and honoring these pillars of health and healing to a greater degree that I have had a profound impact on my inflammation.  Today my knee inflammation serves as teacher to me that has forever changed my course on both a personal as well as a professional level.  It is truly an honor to be part of the Thriving with Arthritis Week at Canyon Ranch as I can appreciate the challenges of arthritis as well as the hope of balanced living.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia

When we think about arthritis, most of us imagine a situation in which the shock absorbing quality of cartilage that covers the ends of bones is deteriorated in a joint.  As a result, we have a condition where there is bone-on-bone grinding against one another resulting in pain and loss of movement.  This describes the most common form of arthritis known as osteoarthritis.  It is important to note that many other forms of arthritis exist since their progression and treatment needs greatly vary. Other forms of arthritis include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis results in joint lining inflammation due to the body’s immune system activity. Normally the immune system targets that which is foreign to the body.  However, in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks and injures our cells, tissues and organs.
• Gout, a defect in body chemistry, creates a painful condition most often attacking small joints, especially the big toe.
• Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that affects the spine, results from an inflammatory process that leads to the bones of the spine to grow together.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly called lupus) can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body.
• Fibromyalgia presents as widespread pain while affecting the muscles and tissues that attaches to bones.

So as you can appreciate from the above description that not all arthritis shows itself in the same way.  During our Thriving with Arthritis Week at Canyon Ranch, it is part of our focus to appreciate the uniqueness of arthritis with each individual and to determine the underlying cause of arthritis.  It is important to share time with a medical expert in understand the underlying causes of the pain, heat, swelling, redness and loss of function.  Simply put, the correct diagnosis leads to the correct approach to healing and health.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia

Among the greatest joys that I have in being a physician is sharing in people’s journeys and hearing their story.  Throughout the day, I am an audience to uplifting stories and celebration, and at other times, ones of heart break and frustration.  Being both a doctor and a patient has given me many lessons in seeking joy and opportunities regardless of the challenges that seemingly stand tall.

When reviewing medical histories, I am humbled by the arthritis stories of work disability and the limits imposed on daily activities.  In reviewing medication lists, I can appreciate the fact that well over a billion dollars is spent every year on prescription pills for arthritis.  To better understand and treat arthritis, medical science has broadened the discussion to include the body’s connective tissues. Simply put, connective tissues are those that “connect” our bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  Today, arthritis refers to more than 100 different diseases that affect areas in or around joints.

We find that when patients are given the opportunity to fully tell their story that the diagnosis becomes more transparent.  Regrettably, quick stories lead to quick answers that are often limited.  In my journey, upon telling the complete story of my left knee to fully invested healers, I started back towards the path of health and wellness. Thus, I wish for you to tell your story fully as you partner with an expert clinician as you reconnect with joy and robust living.  During our upcoming Thriving with Arthritis Week at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, our Department of Health and Healing will be the setting for many such stories as part of the journey of healing the pains and challenges of arthritis.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia

Today, there are nearly 50 million US adults who hold the burden of arthritis. Therefore, this means there are 1 in 5 who seek to limit their load of frequent pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function.  In understanding arthritis, we see that it simply is a word that connects “arthro-” (a prefix meaning joint) and “–itis” (a suffix referring to inflammation). However, this is much more than simply a word to me as both a medical doctor and a person who moves with arthritis on a daily basis.

Half of all Americans with arthritis don’t think anything can be done to help them—this is sadly incorrect as there is much that can be done to assist in reducing the progression and allowing us to reconnect to our daily lives.  I am excited to share that in our upcoming Thriving with Arthritis Week at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, we will be exploring the opportunities for arthritis.  We will be exploring modern medicine with a team of expert rheumatologists.  In addition, we will be highlighting the truly hopeful opportunities from nutrition, herbals, supplements, movement on land and in the water, quality sleep to promote repair and lessen pain, and above all, the ways to connect with joy on a daily basis.

In this upcoming series of blogs, we will talk about the different types of arthritis, the impact of inflammation, and the opportunities with integrative medicine. Moreover, I look forward to sharing my experience both as a patient and as a physician.  At one time, I saw my knee injury as a curse for it truly sidelined me and the life that I was living, but over the years, it has become among my greatest teachers and has placed me on journey of much health and wellness.  I look forward to sharing our journeys.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia

Prior to becoming a doctor and even a medical student, I had been given much experience in life as a patient. For years, I had cursed my challenges with weight management, thyroid illness and knee pain. Nearly twenty years ago, during a frustrating time in my life, I was given sage advice in the form of ancient Asian adage:

“No sickness, shorter life; small sickness, longer life…”

This proverb perplexed me at first and then its meaning began to unfold. These learned words noted that we may not seek to engage in a daily practice of health and wellness until we are confronted with the lesson in the form of a symptom or illness.  Hopefully, one does not have a catastrophic condition prior to honoring the need to care for his or her mind, body and spirit.  For me this lesson of sickness continued until I began to truly honor the need to seek attention to my internal health, nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management.

So I invite you to be witness to the feedback from your mind, body and spirit.  Our experiences provide us with the personalized lessons to be learned.  Upon holding this wisdom, we journey upon the path of health and wellness.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia

I previously wrote about how I was asked to comment on the book and movie “Eat Pray Love” and whether it was necessary for people to travel to transform. Naturally, despite all the travel I have done and the trips I take, I said “no.” Now that have seen the movie (and read the book) I must say that there are two very important messages in each:

1. Follow your passions in a way that respects and nurtures yourself.
2. Be willing to give up what you know for a new perspective on life.

Following passions can be as simple as taking a class, making time for a hobby, or giving yourself permission to try something that fulfills a dream. Getting a new perspective can be as simple as committing to be less reactive, judgmental, and more open-minded; take a different way home from work, meet new people outside your circle, explore foods, places, and perspectives you have been previously unwilling to consider. Whether you like the book or movie isn’t the issue, can you accept the lessons and make them work for you? Inspiration is a choice.

Jonathan Ellerby

Spirituality Director

I truly am so honored to be a physician as it gives me an opportunity to get to know people as part of most special discussion of health and wellness. Yet I will admit that I struggled while making a decision as I am enamored with not only health and science, but also with many other fields. I knew in selecting a career that I would chose one that would allow me to funnel my joys and passions.

When seeking my professional calling, I actively explored a career in education in addition to medicine. As a part of many great discussions with loved ones, my father impressed upon me that as a doctor that I would have the ability to teach people much about their health and healing. Years later, I discovered that the word “doctor” originates from “docere” which in Latin means to teach.

As with most who seek to be a teacher, I honor the need to continually learn and respect the classic hallmark of learning— repetition. However, it is not uncommon for any of us to read or hear something over and over again yet still have not gleaned its full meaning. Instead it is with having a meaningful experience and being immersed in most if not all of our five basic senses that we learn our lessons. Health and wellness are not simply topics to only read about but that we need to be fully engaged in by seeking an experience. Such experiences will include best nutrition to nourish, movement to build the body, and sleep to restore. As part of this ongoing blog, I look forward to encouraging a journey and set of experiences that are fully immersed into health and wellness.

Cheers to your health,

Param Dedhia