Managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) so that you lead a healthy, comfortable life often requires patients to make changes to their lifestyle. Part of living with a chronic condition means planning ahead and building a healthcare team to support you and help reduce pain and minimize the symptoms of RA flare ups.
Here are six proactive things rheumatoid arthritis patients can do you can do to decrease the severity of RA symptoms and prevent the frequency of RA attacks:
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Safeguard your joints
Being gentle on your joints often means switching up the way you do things. For instance, avoiding high impact movements and activities can both prevent and decrease joint inflammation and pain. Allow time for pampering your joints—including warm baths, soaking joints, using joint assists (i.e., orthopedics, braces or canes), and using heating pads.
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Quit smoking
Unfortunately, research indicates that rheumatoid arthritis patients are prone to atherosclerosis (or plaque in the arteries), which also impedes RA treatments. However, if smoking significantly increases the risk even more.
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Plan ahead
Living with a chronic disease like RA means that symptoms will literally put stop gaps on your daily, weekly, and even monthly routines. It’s important to take breaks when you’re experiencing symptoms and also to help prevent the onset of an RA attack so allow for lots of stress free rest and downtime in your day.
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Consume a healthy diet
Diet can both negatively and positively impact health, especially for patients with RA. In fact, several studies link calcium and vitamin D deficiency to bone loss, weight gain, overweight, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and worsening rheumatoid arthritis pain.
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Exercise
Exercises, including those prescribed by your physical therapist and doctor, can help promote better mobility, muscle strength, and flexibility while lessening pain in arthritic joints. Try gentle, low impact exercise (i.e., swimming, walking, and gentle yoga).
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Rest up
Fatigue and living with an autoimmune disorder often go hand-in-hand for a reason. Dealing with chronic pain and inflammation is bound to wear you down both physically and mentally. So give yourself permission to rest when you experience an attack or feel one coming on.
