Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Patients who have RA or Rheumatoid Arthritis lead a life with constant pain which disrupts and restricts their activities. There are several natural remedies & prescribed medications which doctors offer for managing symptoms, managing pain and reducing inflammation. There are positive lifestyle transformations which people with RA can adapt to for increasing their possibilities for maintenance of a good quality life.

When people adopt steps for controlling their symptoms of RA, they are at lower risk of having additional diseases & permanent harm. Few ways people can take the control of their lives are:

Physical activities that can be done in Rheumatoid Arthritis:

• Opt for light physical activities: Though the movement due to inflamed joints, can be uncomfortable, maintaining a consistent routine exercise can assist in fixing a range of motion problems & keeps the joints flexible. Light activities such as walking & yoga reduce the symptoms and strengthen the joints. The patient should always consult a doctor or a physical therapist for determining which activities are safe.
• Lift weights and have toned body: Using a treadmill, swimming or any other light exercises are generally good for an RA patient. Additionally, patients can lift weights which are under the supervision of a personal trainer for building muscles. Keeping strong muscles releases pressure from the weaker joints and speeds up the recovery.
• Be Active: Doing exercise also keeps an RA patient from living a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary lifestyles or a life with no physical exercise can leave an RA patient unable to move or feeling stiff. Exercise helps in weight loss too and this is also vital to managing RA. Overweight patients with RA put a lot of pressure on joints. Weight loss relieves pressure and hence the pain.

Diet is important in managing Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Diet has a major role to manage RA inflammation. Although there isn’t any specific diet which assists with symptoms of RA, food which has a high amount of antioxidants help lower the inflammation. Such food also improves the levels of energy, thus making it very easy to manage the everyday pain.

Healthy anti-inflammatory foods comprise of:-

• Salmon & other fatty fish- Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 acids that lower inflammatory proteins within our body. We shall try incorporating 3-4 ounce in our diets twice a week.
• Blueberries & the other berries with high antioxidants- Antioxidants assist our immune system and support n fighting inflammation. We shall add 1-2 cups of fruit to each meal.
• Nuts or seeds- Nuts are rich in protein, monounsaturated fats, a fiber that assist in fighting inflammation. They also assist in weight loss.