Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of inflammatory disease that afflicts people. The areas that are commonly implicated in rheumatoid arthritis are the wrists, shoulders, small joints of the hands, feet, knees, joints of the elbows, hips, ankles and the cervical spine, wrote Dr. Philipp Novales-Li in his Medical Notes column in one of our daily newspapers.
Here's some of the commonly advocated modes of management of RA in order to ease the pain and to be able to control progress of the disease, based from the article of Dr. Novales-Li :
* Physical or Occupational Therapy. This method of management is particularly suitable for patients with an early onset of this disease. With the aid of a skilled therapist, this would involve a series of exercises or lifestyle modifications that would eventually minimize arthritic pain and the psychosocial trauma associated with the ailment. Low impact exercises, such as walking, cycling and swimming are highly recommended by Dr. Novales-Li to arthritic sufferers because these exercises cause minor stress on the joints. Jogging and aerobics are high impact exercises that cause stress to the joint extremeties.
* Alternative modalities such as heat therapy and the use of warm towel compresses or hot packs is also said to alleviate arthritic stiffness. Hydrotherapy by immersion in a heated pool is also beneficial as it soothes muscle spasms. Electrical nerve stimulation applying weak currents also stimulate nerve fibers, thus abating the arthritic symptoms of morning stiffness and chronic pain.
* Energy conservation. Proper organization and modification of routine tasks. This aspect allows the arthritic sufferer to save energy for other activities. This can be achieved by avoiding prolonged activities, using labor-saving devices, simplifying work loads, and balancing recreational and work activities.
* Finally, the use of medications and surgical options, the two most common modes of managing rheumatoid arthritis. Using drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds are used to treat RA. This allows arthritic sufferers to become more independent and suffer minimal lost of motor function.
Published by Teresita C. Tayanes on July 12, 2008 01:13 AM
