Rheumatoid Arthritis

Home Physio specializes in diagnosing and carefully treating Rheumatoid Arthritis while making sure each patient is fully informed throughout the process. Serving the Central, West & North London , Home Physio is known for delivering outstanding results while helping you minimize your personal investment and creating a suitable treatment plan for your needs.

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Physical Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis

The goal of it is to keep you moving. It uses exercise and other methods to stimulate muscles, bones, and joints. The result is more strength, tone, and overall fitness.

Physical therapists understand the mechanics of bones, joints, and muscles working together, the problems that can happen, and what to do about them. It’s a good idea to work with a therapist, whether you’ve had RA for a long time, you’re newly diagnosed, and no matter how severe it is.

In the early stages of the disease, your physical therapist can check on your strength, fitness, and how well your joints work. They'll make an exercise plan to keep your joints as healthy as possible.

If you have moderate or advanced rheumatoid arthritis, physical therapy can help you keep or improve your strength and flexibility.

Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Together, you’ll make a plan for each muscle and joint group, and for your overall fitness. It will probably include:

Exercise.

This is the cornerstone of any physical therapy plan. It will match your ability and fitness level, and include flexibility, strength, and cardio (aerobic exercise).

Heat or ice.

Treating inflamed or painful joints with heat or ice packs helps some people feel better.

Massage.

It can also help you feel better.

Motivation and encouragement.

It’s a big plus to have a pro to cheer you on and push you to keep going.

Occupational Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis

This helps you stay independent. A therapist will check to see what you need help with. Then, they can teach you better or easier ways to accomplish those things. Occupational therapy can help you even if you don’t work or have a job.

Your therapist can teach you to:

Limit joint strain - You may learn new ways to move your body to protect your joints.

Find other ways to handle everyday tasks. RA can make it hard to undo buttons, turn doorknobs, put on earrings, and other actions that use your fine motor skills. It might help to use both hands instead of just one. Or you might wheel grocery bags and other heavy items instead of carrying them. If you have trouble with gross motor skills, such as lifting coffee cups or bathing, your therapist may help you find workaround solutions.

Use assistive tools.

Many devices and equipment can ease your daily life. Jar openers, cushion grips, grab bars, and raised toilets are some examples.

Lower your pain.

You can apply heat or cold before and after activities so you hurt less. Your occupational therapist can recommend splints to support your joints and to help keep them in a normal position.

5 Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not Seeing a Rheumatologist

Your regular doctor may have diagnosed your RA. It’s still a good idea to see a specialist, too.

Rheumatologists are doctors who are experts in treating RA and other types of arthritis. A rheumatologist will have the most training in the medicines that treat RA and in finding the right ones for you. If you don’t have one, ask your primary care doctor for a referral.

2. Too Much Couch Time

You need rest, just not too much.

When you have joint pain and fatigue, it's hard to get up and get moving. But regular exercise is key for your health. Too much idle time makes pain, fatigue, and stiffness worse.

When your RA flares, slow down but don’t stop. Do gentle flexibility exercises, like yoga and tai chi. You may also be able to do some exercises in a warm pool, but take it easy.

When you feel better, step up your activity. Add strength training (you can use weight machines at a gym, handheld weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight) to strengthen the muscles around your joints. You should also do cardio for your heart, bones, and mood.

Talk to your rheumatologist, or a physical or occupational therapist, about the best exercises for you. Walking can be a good exercise for people with RA. It’s low-impact, and you can do it anywhere for free. Swimming and water aerobics are also good choices.

3. Canceling Doctor Appointments

When you feel good, do you stop seeing your doctor? You need those regular checkups to keep feeling good and to keep your treatment on track.

During regular visits, your rheumatologist will check on how you’re doing, how well your treatment is going, whether you have any side effects, and tweak your treatment, if needed.

In addition to seeing your doctor, you also may need lab tests or X-rays now and then. Make sure you keep those appointments, too.

4. Not Taking All Your Medications

If your doctor prescribed more than one RA medicine, there’s a good reason for that. One of those drugs may ease your pain, while the other helps to stop joint damage.

If you’re not sure what your drugs do or why you need them, ask your doctor. Also tell them if side effects or costs are problems. They can help you look for solutions, whether it’s another drug or help with costs, so you can keep up with your treatment.

5. Skipping Medication When You Feel Good

You may be tempted to skip your medications on days when you’re feeling better. Don’t do that.

Missing a dose could cause the pain to return, and it may be harder to get relief later. Your RA could also worsen.

Some drugs need to stay in your bloodstream at specific levels in order to be effective. If you skip them too often, blood levels of the medication will drop and you could end up with a flare of your RA. You might forget a dose once in a while, and that's OK. Just take it as soon as you remember (but don't take a double dose).

6. Overlooking Your Mood

RA can be painful and challenging. It’s normal to feel sad about that at times. But if you start to feel depressed -- for instance, your blue feelings don’t lift, and you don’t enjoy the things you used to like -- tell your doctor so you can get treated and feel better.

Your doctor can refer you to a counselor for “talk therapy” and prescribe antidepressants if needed. You may also want to join a support group for people with RA, such as those offered by the Arthritis Foundation. Ask your doctor for more information.