Rehabilitation methods for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a relatively common disease. Patients suffering from the disease often have to endure great pain, which makes them suffer greatly. So is there any good way to relieve pain or even help patients recover? Doctors' treatment can alleviate some pain, but do we have any way to do some physical therapy ourselves? Below I will introduce to you some commonly used rehabilitation methods for rheumatoid arthritis.

1. Prevention in daily life

Keep warm and avoid catching cold. Rheumatoid arthritis belongs to the category of "arthritis" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is caused by the invasion of wind, cold and dampness, which leads to poor circulation of qi and blood, resulting in dampness, stasis and phlegm blocking the joints. Therefore, you should always pay attention to keeping your joints warm to avoid catching cold and making your condition worse.

2. Mental conditioning

1. Pay attention to the regularity of life and ensure adequate sleep time so that the body can get adequate rest.

2. Prevent mental stimulation and excessive mental tension, and maintain a happy mood and optimistic attitude. Excessive mental stress can cause endocrine disorders in the body and increase substances that stimulate vasoconstriction, such as bradykinin and catecholamines, which can also aggravate the condition. This should be taken more seriously in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.

3. Dietary precautions

Dietary therapy can only be used as an auxiliary measure to relieve the patient's symptoms. Correctly adjusting the diet is also a means to prevent the recurrence of symptoms. Unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, such as fish oil, evening primrose, etc., and certain trace elements, such as selenium, can relieve symptoms of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, reduce the number of painful and swollen joints, reduce the duration of morning stiffness, increase grip strength, relieve fatigue, etc. But it cannot change the course of the disease. However, some foods such as cereals (cereals, wheat, oats, rye), milk, dairy products, tea, coffee, red meat, citrus fruits, etc. Patients may experience adverse reactions after eating these foods, which may aggravate the clinical symptoms of RA. In addition, it is not advisable to eat shrimps, crabs, etc. in the diet, because these seafood are allergic foods and can easily cause the disease to worsen and relapse.

4. Rehabilitation Exercise

1. It is not easy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis to move during the acute phase, because movement can easily damage the synovial membrane of the joints and further aggravate the joint inflammation. Therefore, excessive limb joint movement should not be performed during this period.

2. After the acute inflammation is controlled, you should start actively performing joint function exercises and physical exercises. The amount of limb joint activity can be gradually increased according to the degree of joint activity. Functional exercises should avoid excessive fatigue to protect the function of the joints and prevent further contracture, stiffness and muscle atrophy. Principles to follow when exercising: do what you can, proceed step by step, and persevere.

In fact, when you have rheumatoid arthritis, don’t be overly anxious. It is important to maintain a good attitude, which can help us recover faster. Patients should not only pay attention to their health during the medication period, but also be careful at all times and protect their affected areas. They should also pay attention to their diet. I believe that as long as they are treated correctly, they will soon be able to get rid of the illness and recover.