Cold and Hold Treatments
Cold or heat treatments can be used to decrease the pain and increase muscle flexibility when you have rheumatoid arthritis. Cold or heat treatments can be combined with any of the exercises prescribed by your physical therapist.
• Use it after exercise
• It may help decrease swelling
• May help reduce overall inflammation
• It will help increases blood flow
• Will help relax your muscles
You can purchase a gel packs that can be kept either cold in your freezer or heated in a normal microwave.
Change Your Lifestyle
• Avoid all impact-loading activities such as jumping, running, etc.
• Reduce any climbing activities such as stairs, climbs, etc.
• Avoid all activity that causes you any prolonged discomfort.
• Change your daily activities and make use of self-help devices
• Avoid stooping when upright.
How do I Remain Consistent When Doing Exercise?
• Stay in the habit of doing exercises every day.
• Vary your exercise routine so you do not get bored, and rotate your exercises.
• Seek help from a health professional, such as a physio therapist, to help you in setting up an exercise program for you.
• Find an exercise friend, or use an exercise DVD.
Weight Control and Diet
• Eat at set times, do not nibble all day
• Avoid red meat and processed meat
• Eat fish high in Omega-3 such as Mackerel
• Cut down on acidic food stuffs
Help Control Pain with Pharmacy Medications
Simple tasks may be hard to do when your joints hurt. Some self-help devices shown below may aid minimize pain, stress, discomfort and may help you in accomplishing some of your daily tasks.
• Long-handled grabbers to help pick things up
• Canes, Crutches or Walkers reduce stress across the joints, but do not use these if you have any arthritis in your arms, it may cause impact damage
• Braces to help support your knees
• Jar openers are very handy
• Large grips for pens, or use those made of rubber, garden tools and any other hand-held objects.
Use Medication
A large part of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is medication. Many medications and drugs are used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, and they fall into a number of classes and categories.
- COX-2 Inhibitors
- Other drugs include treatments used for gout, fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis
- NSAIDs known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
- BRMs which are Biologic Response Modifiers
- DMARDs which are Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs
- Pain medications referred to as Analgesics
- Topical medications such as cream, balms, gels, ointments, lotions
- Corticosteroids. Beware long term use will cause other problems such as Osteoporosis
Arthritis can range from an annoyance to chronic. If you require further advice please visit our Rheumatoid Arthritis Forum
