5 Ways to Limit Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain without Pain Medication

Very few people that the majority of us would call well adjusted enjoy pain. However, pain is an important tool that our bodies use to communicate with us and let us know that something is not right. For people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the constant attack of the immune system on the joints can cause considerable pain. Unfortunately, with a chronic disease of this sort, the pain ceases to provide much valuable information and instead limits the quality of life.

Although the effects on mobility and activity levels are immediately obvious, the lives of those with the disease are affected in a number of ways. In particular for Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers, the chronic pain and effects of the disease are often associated with depression.

At the same time, the lack of mobility can result in both real isolation and feelings of isolation. In a UK survey, 1 in 3 women reported that their disease interfered with their ability to enjoy family events. In the same study, 2 in 3 women with severe RA found attending family functions very painful and many actually avoided going. 76% of women in the study said they experienced pain daily.

Further to effects on family relationships, another important effect of the disease on women relates to intimate relations. A study carried out by the University of Texas found that 60% of women with the disease had less confidence in their sex-life and more than 1 in 3 found such activities to be physically painful. Such an effect can cause significant difficulties for relationships.

As all these studies have shown, the effects of the disease and pain from the disease on lifestyle are significant. As a result it is important to minimize pain for more reasons than that not might be immediately obvious.

While medication does play a very important role in limiting Rheumatoid Arthritis pain, those with the condition will still suffer pain. As science comes to understand the disease more, however, other options are becoming available that can work in concert with the medications. Some methods reduce pain while others reduce the causes of the pain itself.

The following are 5 ways to minimize Rheumatoid Arthritis pain that do not involve pain medication.

1. [[/health_blog/running_the_sedentary_out_of_rheumatoid_arthritis_living]]Moderate Exercise[[/link]]

While exercise is highly touted as an important way of promoting health in general, it does have other benefits for those with RA. In research conducted by the Leiden University Medical Center, researchers found that combined aerobic capacity training and muscle strength training at moderate levels provided improved the ability of patients to better function when performed long term. As well, nightly flexibility exercises reduced morning stiffness.

Other research from the University of North Carolina demonstrated that 30 minutes of daily walking reduced the level of pain that most people experienced. Clearly, exercise plays an important part in reducing pain.

2. Weight Management

Another frequently promoted pathway to health is effective weight management. In particular for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis, however, additional weight or obesity can make the effects of the condition more pronounced.

A study from Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Sweden found that those with RA who were obese reported pain levels that were 20% higher than those of normal weight. Though they did not speculate as to the reason, the number is significant enough to warrant better management of personal weight. The same study found that those who were obese were 27% less able than those of normal weight with the disease.

3. Good Oral Health

In recent years, poor oral health has been associated with numerous problems in the body including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For people with RA, good oral health is even more important.

The results of a study led by researchers from Grigore T Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy found that 56% of RA sufferers had periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums and bone. The study also found that those with the periodontitis suffered from more severe and painful cases of RA.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine found that curing RA patients of periodontitis through proper oral hygiene significantly reduced joint swelling, morning stiffness and levels of pain. Proper oral hygiene includes brushing and flossing daily.

4. Dietary Supplements

While there are 101 supplements different complementary or alternative medicines that someone might try to sell to those with RA, most have no benefit with respect to disease symptoms. In an evidence-based study conducted by the Arthritis Research Campaign in the UK, researchers found that 13 of 21 common complementary medicines had no measurable effect. The one that was found to have a pronounced effect was fish oil.

A similar finding from Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee Scotland found that almost 40% of those taking cod liver oil were able to reduce their level of painkillers by more than 30% without increasing the level of pain that they felt daily.

Another supplement that has very recently shown value to RA patients comes from research at Anhui Medical University in China. There, researchers determined that consumption of chicken cartilage capsules helped to moderate the effects of the immune system in patients with RA. They compared the effects of the supplement with the commonly used drug Methotrexate and found the capsules to be very effective.

5. Effective Use of Medications

Last but not least, for managing RA pain, it is important to follow the directions provided by one's doctor for when to take the often numerous drugs associated with managing Rheumatoid Arthritis.

In one study, McGill University researchers found that more than 50% of patients reported considerable pain despite being under the care of a physician for the condition. Looking further, the researchers found than many were not taking the medications as directed because of concerns related to drug addiction, drug interactions and fears that the drugs would prevent their knowing about the progression of the disease.

A different study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine also found that not taking drugs as prescribed was a contributing factor in poor quality sleep amongst women with RA. The poor quality sleep contributed to depression and previous research has associated the intensity of pain experiences with depression. As a result, taking the disease controlling medications appropriately helps to limit the need for pain medications.

Without a permanent fix for RA yet identified, and research suggesting that the number of people with the disease increasing, those experiencing Rheumatoid Arthritis pain will continue their efforts to cope. Understanding the role that the individual can take to minimize his or her own pain is an important part of this process.

If you suffer from RA pain and have found ways to cope, please share your thoughts in the RA forums.

Related Links

http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/abstract/64/1/52
http://www.ucb.com/_up/ucb_com_news/documents/Good%20Days.pdf
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-shows-devastating-impact-of-rheumatoid-arthritis-pain-on-intimate-relations-63909317.html
http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006853.html
http://www.arthritis.org/media/newsroom/news-releases/Exercise_Relieves_Arthritis_Pain_Release_4-8-08.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/l1k8530864194x51/
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/06/12/over.half.people.with.rheumatoid.arthritis.have.periodontitis
http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=5558
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7307298.stm
http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/about_us/arthritis_news/press_releases/2009/arthritis_charity_produces_fir.aspx
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/chicken_capsules_good_aching_joints_144655.html
http://bionews.zampbioworld.org/2009/03/19/19628
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/06/10/rheumatoid.arthritis.associated.with.poor.sleep.women
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/jama;290/18/2428

Great post as always. I got more useful information on this blog. I can only guess that this information will provide more options for those with the disease.

Once again, you've got something here that's caught me by surprise. This time it's the effect of oral health on arthritis. But, now that I think of it, I wonder if it's because it contributes to acidity which does contribute to painful joints.



Weight management and dietary changes (to reduce body acidity) will certainly help alleviate, if not reverse, the symptoms.

There are certainly some who believe in body pH as a problem of the joints. In this case however, the extent of the understanding is that chronic inflammation interferes with normal body processes. Beyond that, science is still trying to understand how inflammation causes these other issues.