Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

 A patient may feel terrible pain and stiffness in his joints and muscles at the time when

Rheumatoid Arthritis is in active condition. There are some non- pharmacologic therapies

available that can provide relief from the pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis-

Counseling- To understand the nature of Rheumatoid Arthritis and handle the pain,

there are some health care centre provides counseling services. During the counseling,

biofeedback and cognitive therapy are given to the patient to control the symptoms of

RA. Arthritis foundation and many hospitals offer measures which can minimize pain, disability and improve self esteem of the patient.

 Take Rest- Tiredness is the most common symptom of RA. Proper rest is necessary to

reduce inflammation, pain and fatigue. Patient must take rest in breaks and go for some

exercise to stretch the body. Rest for long time can make the heart weak, irritate the skin

and corrode the muscles.

 Exercise- Continuous pain and stiffness often force a patient to become inactive but due

to inactivity, other problems such as loss of joint motion, loss of muscle strength and

retrenchment can occur. There are different kinds of exercises which can prevent such

symptoms such as-

 Some motion exercises to restore the joint’s muscle. Isometric, Isotonic and is kinetic exercise- To improve the strength of muscles, activities such as walking, swimming and cycling increase the stamina.

 Use Splint- To provide rest to the muscles, Patient can use Splint to hold the joint in a

position. Generally, splint are applied to the wrist and handle to reduce pain and swelling.

 Physical Therapy- There are some specific kind of Physical therapy are given to control

the symptoms of RA-

• The application of cold and hot pack can reduce pain and stiffness.
• Ultrasound may reduce the level of inflammation in joints.
• Regular exercise can improve the motion level of muscles.
• Finger splitting exercise improves hand function.
• Effective relaxation technique can reduce muscle tremor.

 Take proper Nutrition and Diet- Due to low appetite, Patients of RA do not take right

amount of Food. Dietary therapy enables a patient to take right amount of calories and

Nutrition. An overweight patient should loose weight and take specific Food to achieve a

desirable cholesterol level.

 However, there is no Physical therapy or dietary therapy which can control the

symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis completely, but they are effective in reducing the pain and swelling in joints.