Many adults experience some form of pain and inflammation at one time or another. Rheumatoid arthritis is different because it tends to last for years and usually affects joints on both sides of the body at the same time. Currently there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are ways to manage rheumatoid arthritis as far as the symptoms and inflammation go.
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
- Tender, warm swollen joints
- Joint stiffness usually worse in mornings and after activity
- Fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite
About 40 percent of people who have rheumatoid arthritis also have signs and symptoms that do not involve joints. Some non-joint structures that may be affected include:
- Skin
- Eyes
- Heart
- Lungs
- Kidneys
- Nerves
- Bone Marrow
- Blood Vessels
- Salivary glands
Risk Factors
- Sex – women are more likely to develop
- Age – most common in middle aged people
- Smoking
- Obesity – people, especially women, age 55 and younger who are overweight or obese
If rheumatoid arthritis is not managed well complications can develop over time including joint damage, hormonal changes, nerve damage and dangerous inflammation of blood vessels. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that is caused by a combination of factors related to the environment and lifestyle, diet, levels of activity, hormones and the individual’s immune system. If someone has rheumatoid arthritis their immune system attacks their healthy body tissue causing loss of cartilage due to high levels of inflammation. While medications are commonly prescribed to people with rheumatoid arthritis and these medications are primarily palliative which covers up the symptoms of pain, there are alternative recommendations which primarily involve “self-care” to managing the rheumatoid arthritic symptoms. This includes dietary changes, staying active and reducing the pain naturally. By being proactive in reducing inflammation and other risk factors associated with rheumatoid arthritis, this can help improve your quality of life and does not pose the risk for side effects that often occur with taking long term medication. Why your immune system decided to attack your joints and body may have been triggered by a number of factors such as leaky gut syndrome or poor gut health, poor diet and food allergies, refined carbohydrates, fried foods, too much sugar, obesity, sometime genetic factors, toxicity from the environment, heavy metal and other chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system of hormone production and smoking.
It is sometimes hard to properly diagnose rheumatoid arthritis and differentiate it from other autoimmune diseases such as lupus or fibromyalgia because the symptoms are all very similar. There is not one test used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. The rheumatologist usually makes a diagnosis by looking at your overall symptoms, your medical history, family history and your lifestyle and may take x-rays or blood tests such as the RA latex blood test. However, that test by itself is not conclusive for rheumatoid arthritis. The medications commonly used include anti-inflammatories, steroids, biological agents that alter the immune system and pain killers to control the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. While these are necessary for some people, in our practice we primarily use natural treatments that can also make a huge impact in terms of helping to lower pain, swelling, inflammation and prevent further damage and increase the quality of your life. The natural treatments we utilize also do not cause unwanted side effects which are common due to rheumatoid arthritis medications including liver damage, anemia, low platelet count, hair loss, kidney issues and heart problems. Your nutritional program that we provide includes dietary recommendations that are anti-inflammatory. You also want to consider drinking bone broth, concentrating on vegetables that are high in sulfur and other foods high in sulfur and Omega 3 such as wild caught fish and nuts and seeds. Studies show you consume fish more than twice a week but this has to be wild caught fish such as wild caught salmon, for example. This will help to lower rheumatoid arthritic activity. It is very important to steer clear of foods that trigger inflammation such as added sugar and synthetic ingredients, trans fat, processed fat, fried foods, gluten and dairy. You also want to stay active and even though rheumatoid arthritis can flare up with activity, you should concentrate on the many benefits of exercise that are low impact that will not stress your sensitive joints. Examples include cycling, walking, water aerobics and yoga. Strength training and stretching would also help. If symptoms become very bad, extra rest is helpful, but you can still stretch to help manage the inflammation. You should also manage the stress in your life and get enough sleep. Studies indicate relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, stretching, deep breathing, guided imagery and visualization will help. You can control the pain naturally through massage therapy, acupressure, essential oils, ice and heat and warm baths. Natural essential oils for arthritis would include ginger, orange, myrrh, frankincense and turmeric oils. You can also try topical treatments on the skin like capsaicin which comes from hot peppers. Supplements that can help reduce the inflammation with rheumatoid arthritis include Curcum-Evail which contains turmeric and Inflammatone which contains natural anti-inflammatories and enzymes that can help reduce inflammation. Fish oil is helpful and sometimes sulfur-based glucosamine and MSM are helpful.
Find out your level of inflammation with our Autoimmune/Inflammatory Panel included in our “A la carte panels” on our website here.
Until next time…stay healthy!
Steven M. Nickels, D.C., D.A.C.B.N., D.C.B.C.N.
Chiropractic Physician
Diplomate/Board Certified
Florida License # CH0006361
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