When it comes to Arthritis, most people think of grandmas and grandpas having achy pains in their hands and knees. However, over 300,000 American children suffer from Juvenile Arthritis. The term Juvenile Arthritis (JA) includes several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affecting kids 16 years old and younger.

The Arthritis National Research Foundation is asking people to wear blue during the month of July with a goal of raising awareness and research to find cures of JA.

Juvenile Arthritis is a condition where the child’s immune system attacks the body’s joints. If this disease goes untreated, it could result in death.

Symptoms include swelling, tenderness, and stiffness of joints causing limited range of motion. This condition can cause long term damage to joint cartilage and bone. This leads to joint deformity, impaired use and altered growth of bones and joints.

Research shows no known cause of Juvenile Arthritis. Most treatment plans involve a combination of medication, physical activity, eye care and healthy eating.

Medications used to treat JA can be divided into two groups: those that help relieve pain and inflammation (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, corticosteroids and analgesics) and those that can alter the course of the disease, put it into remission and prevent joint damage, a category known as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and a newer subset known as biologic response modifiers (biologics).

Each child responds to his or her treatment plan differently, so there’s no set course of attack for JA.

A4M’s upcoming Gut, Brain and Autoimmune Disorders:  The Role of Food Symposium’s opening lecture will address Autoimmune Disease:  Leaving the Era of Reaction and Entering the New Proactive Era of Prediction.  Additionally, The Fellowship in Anti Aging, Regenerative and Functional medicine offer several presentations that relate to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases conditions and how to diagnose and treat.

For more information on this program or anything A4M offers, please visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-los-angeles-2013-aug.html

When a lot of people first hear the term “anti-aging,” more often than not, they think about Botox, implants, and plastic surgeons. Which, in some cases might be accurate but more so aesthetic medicine than anti-aging. However, when it comes to anti-aging medicine more appropriate associated terms could be longevity, preventive, life extending, alternative.

Anti-aging doesn’t necessarily mean taking pills and injections to look and feel younger, it’s about a lifestyle change. A healthy lifestyle not only keeps one looking young and feeling great, it waves off age related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Going for a walk instead of watching TV, having a serving of veggies instead of fries, and spending more time with friends and family could cut inches from your waist, add years to your life, and keep you off any unwanted emotional down spirals. Anti-aging also means researching ways to prevent or halt age related diseases in their tracks.

The anti-aging medical model aims to both extend lifespan as well as prolong health span- the length of time that we are able to live productively and independently.

Of course, some of the science aspects to anti-aging medicine may at times, get controversial with topics involving stem cell research and gene mutation, so on and so forth. So, as we see, anti-aging has a broad spectrum of associated ideas that are scientific, evidence-based and well-documented by peer-reviewed journals. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to “what is anti-aging?”

Are you a General Practitioner, RN, NP, Nutritionist, or Family Practice Physician? If the answer is yes, then you shouldn’t miss this educational opportunity. For the first time in over two years, A4M is heading back to Los Angeles!

A4M’s Gut/ Brain Symposium will take place August 16-17 at the JW Marriott- LA Live, in Los Angeles, CA. This two-day meeting is worth 15.5 CME credits and will provide attendees with the most up-to-date information and educational materials regarding the links between food and disease manifestations. Discussions will focus on GI and neurological disorders, as well as the effects food related disorders have on major organ systems in the body.

After completing this course, practitioners will understand the connections between the GI and nervous systems, diagnostic tests and clinical tools, and new areas of research.

The weekend conference features expert and well- known speakers including William Davis, MD, Alessio Fasano, MD, and David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, among others.

Dr. Davis is a cardiologist, author of a New York Times Bestseller, and Medical Director and founder of the Track Your Plaque program for prevention and reversal of heart disease. Dr. Fasano serves as Division Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Mass General Hospital for Children. Dr. Perlmutter is a Board Certified Neurologist, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and Medical Director of the Perlmutter Health and Hyperbaric Centers in Naples, Florida.

Every medical professional can improve their patients’ well-being by attending this Gut/Brain Symposium. To learn more, please visit http://www.a4m.com/anti-aging-conference-los-angeles-2013-aug.html?SESSION_MAIN=upnl82ou3vjvh75p3a651gfs74