Rheumatoid Arthritis can be a scary diagnosis, but fortunately there are TONS of resources available. I’ve had RA for five years & I’m certainly no expert, but I can share what I’ve learned so far.
National organization whose mission is to guide families in developing personalized plans for living a full life. Perfect starting point if you’ve recently been diagnosed.
Excellent article for recently diagnosed patients AND their loved ones.
Other Blogs:
All Flared Up — look at her “RA Blogs I Love” in the right menu!
Carla’s Corner — if you’re a newbie, don’t read this one as it will scare you; this blog is great for those experiencing very advanced RA & surgeries
From This Point Forward — well organized site with TONS of info covering all aspects of life affected by RA
WHAT TO EAT
This is the trickiest part of any diagnosis (in my opinion). Everyone seems to have differing opinions on what diet is best & it’s hard to sort through the chaos. I like to start with the most basic diet, Mediterranean Diet, because it’s the easiest & everyone agrees it reduces inflammation. Here are some excellent places to start for Mediterranean Diet:
But what about these other diets that people swear will cure RA? Paleo, gluten-free, Autoimmune Protocol, Ketogenic — these are all being toted by nutritionists online & in books. My recommendation? Start with medical science by reading an article like Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis with Dietary Interventions & talk to your doctor before choosing any of these. For myself, I’m currently maintaining a Mediterranean Diet at all times & focus on getting as much high nutrient foods as I can while reducing my intake of gluten & added sugars. I tried going dairy free but it was just too hard & I found no difference in my pain. Too much sugar or salt are definite triggers for me, as is fried food.
HOW TO EXERCISE
How ’bout I ask a different question: How do YOU like to exercise? Because you know what? It doesn’t matter as long as you are MOVING. Favorite forms of exercise tend to be:
Yoga / Pilates / Tai Chi (I don’t have the discipline to do these by myself & am too cheap to pay for the classes)
Water Aerobics (my personal favorite)
Walking / Hiking (my 2nd favorite)
Resistance Bands (my top choice for strengthening problem areas)
Stationary Bike (my “go to” choice on lazy days because I can watch TV while exercising)
I learned this lesson quickly while I was hooked up to an IV watching other patients in the infusion room: patients with a positive outlook seemed to have less pain & use less drugs. And it’s been true for me. When I focus on what I CAN do & stop comparing myself to the “pre-RA” me, then my pain becomes more manageable & I stop throwing up unnecessary limitations or barriers. I also make everyone else around me happier, which makes them want to be around me, which makes me happy.
Heat & Cold
Heating blankets & pads got me through the worst part of my first year with RA & continue to be the quickest way for me to find comfort. Soaking in hot water is also effective, especially after every exercise…when my body starts to feel inflamed & pissed off. Cold is not something I generally choose to apply, but I definitely feel instant results after swimming in cold water or hiking in cold weather. There’s no doubt that my joints work better when I’m out in cold dry weather — no warm tropical weather for this arthritic gal.
Massage
I’ll be honest — massage only brings me temporary relief. It does nothing to alleviate the joint pain (for me) but it DOES help to reduce the muscle pain around my neck & upper back which is my daily companion. If I went regularly I would probably see more health benefits, but time & money are key factors in not utilizing this option very often.
Acupuncture
I haven’t tried it yet, but my Rheumatologist swears by it for muscle pain & if I can just get over my fear of needles then perhaps I’ll give it a go. [And yes Dad, I know I get IV needles stuck in me every other month, but it’s NOT THE SAME.]
KEEPING CURRENT
While my family doctor and Rheumatologist are wonderful, they are very busy people & no one cares more about my health than ME. So, I strongly believe in educating myself & trying to keep up with new treatments & clinical studies. The blogs mentioned at the beginning of this post are great sources for current news but you can do the research yourself too. If you’re not afraid of medical journals (just skip to the Conclusions, they’re not as scary as you think), start with…
Find out what biologics are, why we take it with Methotrexate & what the new kid on the block is — biosimilar. Also briefly discusses drug patent rules & why similar drugs must wait to be developed certain years past their originator.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (ARD) journal, providing short research summaries for patients and non-clinicians to accompany selected key research papers published in the journal.
One last bit of advice: educate yourself & spend the time working out a health plan, but don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Disease does not define us or rule our lives & so it should never consume our thoughts & activities. There’s SO much more to do in this life!
