Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I'm new to dealing with RA I was diagnosed a few weeks ago. The pain started in my biceps in November I thought it would just go away but it still hasn't and then it was my hands they felt like they were being slapped and then by January it was also my knees. My primary sent me to the rheumy and she made the diagnoses. Im not loving the pain my hands are alot better just some discomfort but my biceps still give me alot of trouble at night I tend to be a side sleeper and my arms won't have it. But my knees are driving me crazy they sometimes feel like they were put on wrong no swelling just sudden pain. I hate to complain because from what I have read here so many people having been dealing with so much pain for so long and I have been very fortunate I'm 54 and this is the first stretch of pain I have ever had to deal with. My question is has anyone gotten relief from exercise? When someone told me to try it I was like are you crazy I hurt enough now! I am willing to try anything I thought maybe an exercise bike for my knees so there would be no real impact on them. Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. I have been visiting this site alot and everyone seems so welcoming and willing to share what they can.
There are people who go to the gym, do yoga, etc. For others, going all the way from the bedroom to the shower without using a cane is a good workout. There are folks who swear by exercising in a warm-water therapy pool. It will take some trial and error to figure out what's good for you.
I'm a walker, but not a hiker anymore. I need fairly flat ground and even terrain. I have always walked to and from work, and I just refuse to give that up. On the odd occasion I can't walk- a mid-day appointment I need the car for, rain- I feel substantially worse all day. There are threads on here about knitting, etc., with speculation about it helping keep the rust from taking over one's hands.
You'll have to try the exercise bike a try and see if it helps or hurts. Probably a good idea to start slow- do way less than you think you can, and see how you feel the next day.
Before I was diagnosed with RA about 5 years ago, I was always very active, and I've tried to stay as active as possible. I did learn the hard way that "if you don't move it, you lose it." My elbows are always the worst part for me, and the swelling there has never completely gone down. For a couple years after diagnosis, I didn't make a big effort to exercise them, and after I started to get somewhat better, I realized that I had lost significant range of motion. I went to physical therapy and they stretched me out, but I'll probably never be able to completely open or close my arms again.
Point being, you gotta keep moving. Don't expect to be able to do a normal workout running long distances or lifting whatever your normal amount of weight would be. If you can only lift 2 pounds or bike a half a mile, do that, but try and move your joints through their normal range of motion. Some days, just getting the joint moving can help reduce pain and inflammation, other days you may want to rest and use heat/ice. If you notice you're just not able to move a joint anymore, see if the rheumatologist will prescribe physical therapy. I had to request it from mine, and it helped a lot. You'll have to relearn what your limits are, and they'll probably change daily. It is a process.....
Good luck! I'm new here, too, but this is a very lovely group of people with tons of experience and information.
Now that the weather is getting better, I walk a bit on my lunch hour. I try to do what I can when I can. I do crochet every now and then to as altoclef says keep the rust out of the hands. My Rheumatologist encourages exercises, but it is a matter of trying to do it in between not having pain. Good lluck with everything and welcom again.
IF you are working full-time and have a commute - that IS part of your exercise. that's going to remove about 40-50 hours of your week time so you are going to have to rob from something else. Christine talking about debilitating fatigue after work is correct. At one point I had one pound pink hand weights (they don't have to be pink...:) on the work desk and the orencia in my work fridge. did i do much with them? no, but I did a little.
when sicker and having time for more self healing, I used the recumbent bike at PT (those bikes that I always smirked in my healthier robust days were for pre and post surgical candidates) but come on with a neck brace and my back and butt supported all I am using is my quads. I have one at home. i use it to the degree I can chasing or lagging behind the women on the other bike on the dumb program on the screen.
I liked buddha's assessment, take wherever you are (WHEREVER that is) and add one step. so if you can walk to the kitchen, walk further to the living room. or if you can bicep curl your fist at work, then add one pound.
I also use the bed to do crunches and chairs to do leg lifts. OK it's not the gym programs of yore but it's better than total atrophy.
Don't give up. your body loves you more than you think. :)
There is not a destination time when all of a sudden you move a little. the journey is the destination.
Ros
I was shoveling dirt out of my hubbys truck. We were filling in low spots around the driveway. It was good ole black clay dirt. There were several 5+ lb chunks in there. I shoved on a load, and the shovel got stuck. I pushed so hard, it didn't move, but my wrist did. Now to back up a few yrs ago I was on my 75th pregnancy, and I twisted my ankle tearing three ligaments. One shows complete severing on Mri, actually the ligament wasn't seen on the Mri and is called a chronic sprain. Most pain in my life up until then. Fast forward, I knew the pain was horrendous and similar to the ankle when I hurt the wrist. It was fire all up to my elbow. Diagnosed torn tfcc, and unsure what else.The wrist has subluxation, positive ulnar variance, and it no longer works right. It caused my immune system to do this crap (ra) 4 weeks later if I recall correctly, and I focused on my flares that ensued as opposed to the surgery I needed. My ankle over that injury hurts and is swollen non stop.
Ok, point is. Pain puts me where I can't exercise. Gripping the wheel driving stoves up my fingers pretty bad. Grocery shopping with a cart swells up my tendons on that bad wrist beside the ulna for days. Walking shopping swells both ankles and feet, and the big toe joint feels sprained awful. My tendons are awful, weak, and vulnerable. I am scared to exercise honestly.
I could do yoga, core stretches and strengthening. I havent yet, but one day may start. The only thing I do is our garden. Hubby shovels nowadays lol, terrified to do that again, and I planted a ton of veggies. My hands were mad a me, but it was good exercise. I also trimmed back the mums, and my hands bruised from the clippers (thank you prednisone), and they were extremely sore for days. You have to judge what will work for you. If you're wanting weightlifting, remember these ligaments and tendons, bursas etc may he weakened allowing for injury. Mine are I believe, and so I take it easy.
Water aerobics, yoga, stretches, light walks, that's all I can suggest. No we can't crawl into a hole, but limit logically this new body we have, and push with caution to prevent injury.
I am admiring that some people can still do yoga or pilates! Used to love this kind of exercise but impossible now. But I can do gym exercise (using hydraulic style machines) - for some sufferers that might be impossible.
Others talk about walking. Not possible if knees or ankles stuffed.
Water a supportive environment if you can handle pools (especially public ones).
But whatever it is, surely moving those bits that cooperate is good? And when possible getting into fresh air and moving in it?
Can be really easy to sit at a computer, especially reading through DS postings and Not Getting On With It........
It's become very clear to me this past year that I need to keep moving in some ways. On the days I don't....I hurt worse. I'll also start PT for my back and I'm going to count that as exercise too. :-)
sherrie
Be well
I do at least one aerobic class a week, and I'm trying to commit to 2 a week but it's not easy.
This week I bailed on the Thursday class because I had such a horrible week with shoulder, wrist and finger pain. My body needed the rest and things got better.
Actually went bowling on Saturday night (with wrist tensors in place!) and hey... I had 5 strikes the first game! Second game my fingers were swollen so wasn't good but it was fun and it was exercise and even though I should have stopped after one game it was satisfying to do at least that much.
Today was the first nice spring day we've had and I cleaned out the garage and did a bit of raking.
I'll likely pay for that a bit, but again, when you force yourself to do, you get it done, or at least get something done, which is ALWAYS better than doing nothing.
Take pride in whatever little things you can accomplish. It might not be what you used to be able to do, but every active moment helps.
I love biking but it's harder on my knees & bum from the SI joint. Yet I'll be on it soon as the weather breaks.
Ill say on the rare days I'm not moving I feel worse by evening & the following day.
Now my sister has a doctor with awards out the ying yang. According to him she's not totally crippled because she keeps moving.
She did Crochet & knit with her hands for years & simply keeps moving. She's really bad now but I know she continues to try.
Dr said she could have been in wheel chair years ago.
That says a lot to me.
Sammy