Easing the Pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Easing the Pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sun Aug 1,11:47 PM ET

By E.J. Mundell

HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDayNews) -- A morning T'ai Chi session, a quick

afternoon nap to restore energy, an oversized " easy-grip " pen -- experts

say there are dozens of quick, simple ways to help the 2.1 million

Americans afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis rise above daily pain.

" A lot of times, the mental stress associated with rheumatoid arthritis

is equal to the joint pain people feel, " explained Whetstone

Mescher, a physiologist and spokeswoman with the Arthritis Foundation.

" The emotional, mental part has to do with the fatigue, the lack of

energy, the inability to do things that they want to do. There's the

feeling that they're slowing losing their lifestyle. "

But it doesn't have to be that way. One of the biggest frustrations for

arthritis sufferers stems from difficulties in completing simple

tasks -- actions such as opening jars, grabbing items off a high shelf,

or even working a computer mouse.

Rheumatoid arthritis -- or RA -- is a disease that affects the entire

body and is one of the most common forms of arthritis. It's

characterized by inflammation of the membrane lining the joint or other

internal organs, causing pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and swelling.

The disease is usually chronic, but can also be marked by flare-ups,

according to the foundation.

Luckily, the buying power of an aging population has led to a revolution

in arthritis-friendly product design. In fact, the Arthritis

Foundation's " Ease of Use " initiative, in partnership with private

industry, has helped launch dozens of innovative products such as Pilot

brand Dr. Grip pens and pencils, the quick-open Folgers AromaSeal coffee

container, and the Virtually Hands Free computer mouse from Designer

Appliances, among other products.

But there's more people with arthritis can do to ease daily pain.

Because of a phenomenon known as " gelling " -- where synovial fluid gels

during sleep, producing joint stiffness -- morning is often the toughest

part of the day for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Alleviating that pain " is often as simple as taking a warm bath or

shower just after getting up, " said Dr. Klippel, president of the

Arthritis Foundation.

Exercise programs that emphasize joint flexibility are another great way

of relieving joint stiffness and pain. " We talk about 'joint-safe' forms

of exercise, " Klippel said. " Things like T'ai Chi and yoga not only

increase muscle strength and flexibility, but there's not a lot of

stress across joints. "

But he emphasized that for individuals with arthritis, exercise should

be balanced with rest. " The typical person with rheumatoid arthritis has

very little energy, so one of the coping skills that they begin to learn

is building rest time into their daily activities, " Klippel said. Energy

tends to ebb in mid-afternoon, so workers with arthritis may want to

consider a short restorative nap at that time, if at all possible.

There are other ways of dealing with the chronic pain, however.

According to Mescher, studies have shown that meditation eases arthritic

symptoms, as does guided imagery.

" Guided imagery is, for example, imagining yourself on a beach, " she

said. " It's a talk-through of some sort of relaxing activity that helps

you take your mind away from the pain and stress that come with the

disease. "

Support groups can be of great help, too. " One caveat I'll add to that,

however, is that sometimes we've found there are unhealthy kinds of

support mechanisms out there, such as groups where everyone simply

complains about their disease, " Mescher said.

With those types of feedback sessions, most participants " just leave

feeling worse, " she said. Instead, Mescher prefers groups where

arthritis patients offer each other creative solutions to the tough

challenges they face every day. " That really seems to help, " she said.

The very best group activities combine social support with exercise.

Joining a local aquatics club, for example, gives someone with RA

" several positive benefits, " Mescher said. " It takes a lot of effort

sometimes to get up in the morning and get out, but the class gives it a

social component as well. "

Of course drug therapy remains key in alleviating joint pain. The

pharmaceutical options now available include NSAIDs (nonsteroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs) that include aspirin and ibuprofen; steroid

medications like prednisone; and a newer category of drugs called

disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which include

methotrexate.

" Drug therapy is still the best way we know of to reduce pain and

minimize the disability that comes with this disease, " Klippel said.

Above all, people with rheumatoid arthritis shouldn't isolate

themselves. The support of family and friends can make the difference,

Mescher said, although there's often a learning curve.

" Be a good listener, " she said. " Obviously, a loved one with rheumatoid

arthritis has a lot on their mind, a lot they want to share and talk

about. Do some research on your own to understand what they're going

through. "

In her work with caregivers interested in learning more about rheumatoid

arthritis, Mescher often has them spend time with their thumbs taped

firmly to their index fingers.

" Then they try and pick up different things around the house --

obviously, it makes a big impact on what you're able to do, and gives

you a taste of what life is like for someone with RA, " she said.

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I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org