Coping Mechanisms For Rheumatoid Arthritis

By Andrew John

Rheumatoid arthritis is a well-known, so far incurable and very annoying disease. While it is not lethal, the fact that it attacks not only joints, but also some internal organs makes it much more dangerous than any other form or arthritis. What is even worse, this arthritis always affect both sides of the body. While normally people may suffer from pain in only a single joint at the time, rheumatoid arthritis cause inflammation in the same joints in the both sides of the body simultaneously. For example, if this arthritis attacks knees, it will cause the inflammation at the both knees at the same time. As the result, most areas of life that are related with movement or physical activities are seriously affected by the disease.

Many people think that because rheumatoid arthritis can't be cured, there is nothing they can do about it. As the result, they accept all the suffering - even though there is a lot one can do to improve the quality of life and slow down the progress of the disease. For one, they can count on the doctor's help - they won't give them a cure, but there are already some medications that will reduce the symptoms. Besides, there are several things they can do to make their life easier.

The first thing you can do is, of course, some physical activity like swimming, jogging or other similar sports such as tennis. Ask your doctor about the specific exercises that could be the most beneficial in your situation. Basically, rheumatoid arthritis is much less dangerous if you keep your muscles and joints in top condition. Do not put too much stress on your joints though - learn how to bend properly, avoid lifting heavy weighs and make sure that your joints do not work too much - you have to keep them moving, though.

Another main issue is the pain which may sometimes become strong enough to prevent sleeping. The first thing one should do is to talk to a doctor. She will be able to give you some sleeping pills that will make getting to sleep much easier. For pain however, you should rely more on heat and cold to reduce it rather than on the pills. Hot baths and ice placed right on the joint in pain will surely help a lot.

There's also another thing one can do. The information is new, but has already been confirmed by a team of Australian scientists. Increasing the amount of fatty fish or fish oil in the diet reduces the problems with morning muscle stiffness and reduces the pain. The most important is the Omega-3 fatty acid that can be found in tuna, salmon and herring as well as in food supplements such as Omega Daily. - 17273

About the Author:

The Author: Andrew John reports on subjects that are important in helping people help themselves. For more information on Omega Daily and Rheumatoid Arthritis just click on one of the above links.