Your joints are not what they once were. With every move you are reminded that you need some wd-40 for extra lubrication. Especially in the morning, you may suffer from stiffness. Enjoying life sometimes becomes difficult because of this, and so this can really ruin your mood. Still, it is important to find ways to do enjoy life despite rheumatoid arthritis.
Therefore, in this article, I discuss what rheumatoid arthritis is and give tips on how to relieve symptoms such as pain.
What is rheumatoid arthritis
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, you suffer from inflammation in your joints. To make it even more specific, the mucous membrane in your joints is inflamed. The WD-40 in your joints is inflamed and therefore can no longer function properly. This makes it difficult to move properly and fluidly.
The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is because your immune system produces enzymes that attack your own mucous membrane. So it is a kind of autoimmune disease. That attack also causes you to experience inflammatory reactions, such as swelling, redness, heat and pain.
In addition to inflammation of the joints, this autoimmune disease also affects the organs. In 30% of people with rheumatoid arthritis, the skin is also affected by the disease. In addition, it can affect the lungs, kidneys and lead to cardiovascular disease. This is mainly because of the increased inflammatory levels present in the body due to rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
There are a number of symptoms to watch for if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The most obvious are pain and swelling at the joints. In addition, however, you may experience more severe symptoms for which it is wise to see a doctor.
Fever
Because rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, some medications weaken your immune system, but this makes you more susceptible to fever. Fever can be caused by an illness, but it can also be caused by an infection. Especially with an infection, a weakened immune system is a problem. Therefore, always get checked to find out if your immune system could use some help right now.
Breathing Problems
This autoimmune disease, as mentioned earlier, affects the lungs. Your lungs are more susceptible to developing scar tissue. Therefore, always see a doctor if you have a cough that just won't go away or you have shortness of breath during normal activities.
Chair Gait Problems
Your stomach and intestines can also be affected by rheumatoid arthritis. For example, you may experience stomach bleeding more quickly or an imbalance of the good and bad bacteria in your intestines. For example, if you suffer from diarrhea or constipation, there may be something wrong with the balance in your intestines.
Numbness
With increased inflammation also affecting your blood vessels, you may experience numbness or tingling as swelling pinches your nerves.
Eye Problems
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause problems with your white eye and cornea. If you have eye pain or redder eyes than usual, it is important to see a doctor. If your vision changes within a few days or weeks it is also important to see your doctor.
Bone fractures
Some medications also cause bones to be more brittle than in people who do not suffer from the autoimmune disease. This makes them more likely to break bones than healthy people. Especially if the rheumatoid arthritis causes you to move less, this is more likely. Osteoporosis is actually treatable and you can develop that because of this disease.
Dry mouth and eyes
Rheumatoid arthritis is also likely to make you suffer from dry mouth and dry eyes. Reducing this often requires medication and lifestyle changes. Therefore, always see your doctor if you suddenly have trouble swallowing or feel that your eyes are no longer nice and smooth.
Hearing loss
Some medications can cause hearing loss. If you or your family notice this, it is important to consult with your doctor about getting something else.
Chest Pain
If you suffer from this disease, you also tend to have faster heart problems during exercise. Therefore, keep a close eye on this or exercise under supervision.
Mood swings
As briefly touched upon, this is not a fun disease. As a result, you may also suffer from feelings of depression or anxiety. Studies show that one-third of people with rheumatoid arthritis suffer from this.
What characteristics does pain have?
The pain you experience with rheumatoid arthritis can range between pain in the joints, tingling or just a numb feeling.
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is treated with medication, and you can also receive support from a rheumatologist, physical therapist and podiatrist. In addition, alternative treatments can support normal treatment. These include a dietician, homeopathy and hypnotherapy.
Rheumatoid arthritis and nutrition
Healthy foods, especially healthy fats and vitamin D, have a beneficial effect on rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, a dietary change can belong to support change. However, if the very thought of fatty fish makes you unwell, hypnotherapy can help you more easily eat the healthy foods that make you suffer less from the effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
Hypnotherapy can cause you to gain new beliefs about the healthy foods that make it easier to eat them. In addition, hypnotherapy can also cause foods that are better to leave out to also become more repulsive, making saying "no" a lot easier.
Hypnotherapy to support treatment
Hypnotherapy can also support treatment in other areas and reduce symptoms. For example, hypnotherapy is often used to reduce chronic pain or less impact on your enjoyment of life.
A 2000 study found that hypnotherapy can help reduce autoimmune activity and also reduce joint swelling. This was measured in part by blood results and by subjective experiences of the participants, 60 in all. According to the patients, joint stiffness and pain was also less after hypnotherapy.
Hypnotherapy did have to be performed in addition to normal treatment. Thus, it is not a replacement for the normal treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
The effects were further enhanced if participants regularly engaged in self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy during the follow-up period. In this study, participants were especially required to perform relaxation exercises during hypnosis.
In addition, research conducted in 2014 shows that hypnotherapy can change your experience of pain by examining and possibly changing your beliefs about pain. For example, beliefs you hold about how pain affects your daily functioning and daily happiness can be further examined to see if they can be changed so you can do more enjoyable things on a daily basis. You can also receive self-hypnosis tips from your hypnotherapist to help you deal with pain at home at times when you find it difficult to ignore.
If you suffer from depressive feelings or anxiety due to this autoimmune disease, hypnotherapy can also help. A 2015 meta-study on the effect of guided visualizations, a technique used in hypnotherapy, against pain and depressive symptoms in people with rheumatic diseases found that this technique shows promise in combating pain, anxiety and depression caused by rheumatic diseases. Thereby, daily functioning can also be improved by this technique. The researchers therefore also recommend that more research be conducted in the future, because less pain also means less dependence on others.
So hypnotherapy can certainly add value beyond standard treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
Relax to relieve pain
Stress can amplify the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, try to relax daily to reduce stress daily. You can do this by lying down in a quiet place in your home and doing nothing for five minutes and focusing only on your breathing. For example, breathe in through your nose for three counts, hold your breath for one count and then breathe out through your mouth for three counts.
In the process, put your hands on your belly so you feel yourself breathing through your belly. Relaxing is also the first step for self-hypnosis.
Another way to de-stress and do something against rheumatoid arthritis is to stretch. This can be done with yoga, for example. Consult with your doctor or physical therapist first. In yoga, you stretch your body while focusing on your breathing. Research also shows that this can help with pain and sleep better. However, the researchers indicated not to push yourself with the yoga and to stick to simple poses.
Want to learn more about the benefits of hypnotherapy and how to help yourself and others with it? Then check out Hypnosis Institute Netherlands ' seminars and trainings.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/features/10-serious-rheumatoid-arthritis-symptoms
http://www.reumafonds.nl/informatie-voor-doelgroepen/patienten/vormen-van-reuma/reumatoide-artritis
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08870440008407369
http://ard.bmj.com/content/73/Suppl_2/22.1.abstract
http://www.painmanagementnursing.org/article/S1524-9042%2815%2900011-9/abstract
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2014.5231.abstract
