Massage therapy can ease the symptoms that occur with inflammation. It also promotes blood circulation, flexibility and mobility. Manipulating muscles that support the arthritic joints without working on the inflamed areas can promote pain relief. Massage is never attempted over an inflamed joint and is not recommended in acute arthritis because it may worsen the inflammation.
Applying cold or heat for conditions involving the muscles or joints has long been used for improving arthritis symptoms.
Heat application to an arthritic area has several effects. It reduces muscle spasm, pain and soreness. Warming the tissue also promotes blood circulation which nourishes muscle fibers. For patients with arthritis, heat applications sometimes work best early in the day by relaxing the muscles around the joints.
Applying ice or cold pack to inflamed joints appears to reduce pain and swelling by causing the blood to constrict. As a result, further leakage of blood and serum is prevented thereby reducing swelling and pain. Cold application also provides pain relief. Ice applications at the end of the day can reduce the inflammation that result from daily activities.
Applying ice or cold pack to inflamed joints appears to reduce pain and swelling by causing the blood to constrict. As a result, further leakage of blood and serum is prevented thereby reducing swelling and pain. Cold application also provides pain relief. Ice applications at the end of the day can reduce the inflammation that result from daily activities.
When used in alternation, heat and cold therapies can provide symptomatic relief for rheumatoid arthritis.
Physical therapy can be done at any stage or severity of rheumatoid arthritis. It generally concentrates on the patient's physical and functional status. In the early course of the disease, the physical therapist carefully assesses and documents the patient's mobility, posture, and body mechanics. The patient and the physical therapist will then work to create a plan geared towards the improvement for each muscle or joint group, and for overall fitness. Below are some of the strategies can be used to achieve treatment goals.
http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/depression.html
Oxford textbook of rheumatology By David Alan Isenberg, Peter Maddison, Patricia Woo
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=89.586
Seated spinal twist
This yoga pose allows you to stretch the entire length of your spine.
1 Start in a sitting position with your legs extended. Bring your right foot on the outside of your left knee. The right foot must be flat on the floor.
2 Hold your right foot with your right hand. Extend your left arm out in front of you
Swing your left arm to the side and all the way to the back. Place it as close to the center of the back, if possible. Turn your torso to the direction of your left arm, this will engage the spine in a twist. Breathe deeply and relax the muscles.
Side angle pose.
This pose strengthens the thigh area.
1 Stand with feet about 4 ft. apart. Turn the right foot out about 90 degrees and the foot in 45 degrees.
2 Slowly bend your right knee, keeping the knee directly over the toes. Rest your right forearm to the bent right knee and extend your left arm alongside the left ear. The extended arm should not be pointed straight up toward the ceiling. You should focus on keeping a continuous diagonal line from the back left foot to the extended left arm. You may either look down to the mat or gaze upward to the extended fingers.
3 Try not to tense or sink in your lower shoulder. If its to difficult to rest your right forearm on your thigh, you may place it on a stool, this will relieve some weight off your front leg.
4 Hold the pose for one or two breaths during first sessions, you may increase up to 5 full breaths over time.
5 Repeat on the other side.
Wrist bending
This yoga exercise helps improve the range of motion of your wrists through stretching and bending.
1 Sit on the floor or yoga mat.
2 Straighten your hand in front of you at shoulder height, parallel to the floor
3 Turn your palm down and extend your fingers and thumb forward and close together.
4 Inhale as you bend your hand at the wrist backward as if you are pressing hard against an object.
5 Exhale as you bend your hand down at the wrist. With this movement, you will feel a slight pull all the way to your forearm.
6 Repeat eight times, then do it with your other hand. After some practice, you will be do wrist bending with both hands at the same time.
The use of yoga dates back to 2000 years ago. It involves a variety of poses and movements that boost the mind's capacity to concentrate and at the same time promotes physical conditioning. With Yoga, a person's physical and mental well being can be greatly enhanced.
Yoga poses can help strengthen the joints and improve their function, thus reducing the risk of stiffness.
The Beauty of Yoga By Jacine Harrington
http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yoga-practice/yoga-wrist-bending.asp
http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/yoga-poses-for-arthritis.html
Yoga for children with autism spectrum disorders. By Dion E. Betts, Stacey Waldman Betts
http://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/ra/default.asp?s=1&province=on
Water exercise By Martha White
Arthritis care: a guide for patient education By Sharon Ferrance Porter
Aerobic exercises
Conditioning or aerobic exercises strengthen the heart and lungs The aerobic exercises that are recommended for patients with rheumatoid arthritis include low-impact activities like walking, swimming and bicycling. Patients should check first with their doctors before starting an exercise program.
Yoga
Yoga can be a good complimentary therapy for arthritis. Yoga poses can help strengthen the joints and improve their function, thus reducing the risk of stiffness. Below are simple yoga poses for arthritis. Read more about [Rheumatoid Arthritis and Yoga][1]
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy can be helpful for individuals with arthritic conditions. The warmth and buoyancy of the water make provide a safe environment for performing exercises for relieving arthritis pain and stiffness. Movements such as stretching or walking through water can exercise the joints without putting them under strain.
In hydrotherapy, a person is submersed in water, to either soak or exercise. A hydrotherapist then gives instructions on the movements appropriate for the patient's condition. The painful swelling in the joints that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis appears to decrease with hydrotherapy. The warmth of the water is effective on the joints and soft tissues to decrease swelling and improve mobility.
The Arthritis Foundation has a water exercise program for people with arthritis and related conditions. Classes are held at a local indoor pools, they are usually conducted 2 or 3 times a week. This exercise program patients the opportunity to exercise with guidance from a trained instructor.
Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises include simple movements that help improve flexibility and range of motion. Stretching should be a part of every arthritis patient’s daily routine. It warms up muscles and tendons, thereby reducing the risk of injuries.
Research show that regular exercise may benefit patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Regular exercise relieves symptoms, improves coordination, endurance and the ability to carry out daily activities. It also improves over-all health and reduces one's chances developing other health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes.
Exercise is an important element of any physical therapy plan. Physical therapists can teach the patient techniques that will help manage the pain, and restore mobility and and muscle strength. The exercise plan is tailored to the patient's ability and overall fitness level. It generally includes stretching and flexibility exercises, strength exercises, and aerobic exercise.
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/appendixb.htm
Foods & nutrition encyclopedia, Volume 1 by Audrey H. Ensminger
Foundations and clinical applications of nutrition: a nursing approach By Michele Grodner, Sara Long, Sandra DeYoung
Quick access patient information on conditions, herbs & supplements By Integrative Medicine Communications
Medicinal natural products: a biosynthetic approach By Paul M. Dewick
http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?ID=1856
drugs.com
Evening primrose oil must be taken by mouth as directed. Check all directions on the product package. In case you're uncertain of any information, ask your doctor or a pharmacist. The usual adult dose for EPO capsule which is standardized to contain 8%GLA is 2 - 8 grams daily. Some patients may need higher dosages, ask your health care provider for the appropriate dose for your condition.
Several studies suggest that evening primrose helps relieve joint pain, tenderness, and swelling that may occur with rheumatoid arthritis. One of these was a study done by scientists from the University of Pensylvania in which 37 patients took part. The participants were given either GLA or placebo. After 6 months of treatment, the GLA group reported 36% fewer tender joints, they also had 45% less joint pain. The placebo group, on the other hand did not experience improvement of symptoms.
In one British study, 40 people were given either evening primrose oil or placebo as an addition to their routine drug regimen. After 6 months the people who were given evening primrose oil reported significant improvement of symptoms, while the placebo group had no change in their symptoms.
The oil extracted from the seed of the evening primrose or Oenothera biennis is rich in an essential fatty acid called linoleic acids. It also contains gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA which has been found to have a number of health benefits including relief from the discomforts caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Evening primrose is a biennial plant native to North America, it is also being cultivated in temperate countries. Native Americans used the boiled root, and leaf poultices of the evening primrose plant for treating bruises and hemorrhoids. Today, the oil extracted from evening primrose is commercially available as an oil or capsule. It widely used as a dietary supplement and claims to provide the body with essential fatty acids which play a role in many bodily functions.
Evening In addition, evening primrose oil is used as a natural treatment for many health conditions including:
The seeds of evening primrose contain up to 25% essential fatty acids including linoleic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Essential fatty acids carry out many important roles, GLA is a precursor of prostaglandin E1 which help inhibit or reduce inflammation, platelet aggregation, thrombosis, cholesterol synthesis, blood vessel tone, and the formation of abnormal cells.
References:
The Green Tea Book: China's Fountain of Youth By Lester A. Mitscher, Victoria Dolby, Victoria Dolby Toews
http://arthritis.about.com/od/preventionandriskfactors/a/greentea.htm
drugs.com
