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 just spent 5 days in the Rocky mountains. I am from a much lower altitude and higher humidity level area.
The altitude was 8500 and humidity was vertually non existant. I was in ZERO pain and had a great deal of energy.
I have been back home (4500 altitude and high humidity) for 2 days and already flaring up with pain in my feet and wrists. I have not had this kind of wrist pain since my diag 9 years ago.
Do others have this same reaction?
While I was in the mountains we drove to the summit at 10,000 plus feet, we hiked some and picniced and had no trouble. I am 56 years old so I wasn't crazy. My 30 year old daughter had a harder time than i did.
Is this common? Has anyone had this experience before?
It makes me want to pack and move.... I loved the cooler temps and very very low humidity. I have lived in Colorado before, but that was before I was diaged w/ RA.
Anyone else?
I live at 3800 feet, but do most of my hiking above 7000. I try to hike to 10,000 feet at least once a year, but that's just a silly goal. I don't think elevation was as responsible for your relief as much as humidity, although my personal experience is that pressure changes (like a cold front moving in) has had more effect than temperature or humidity on their own. Both those are often factors with pressure changes, so who knows?
Good for you for hiking at high altitude If your home is at 4500 ft., you likely were able to adjust to the elevation change more easily than most.. My favorite hikes are at elevations between 6500 ft and 9000 ft. Anymore, 10,000 ft. means more miles than my feet want to deal with, but god willing, a good winter will mean snow and lots of snow shoe hikes, which make some of the higher hikes easier, if it's cold enough and the snow is consolidated.
I'm recovering from knee replacement surgery, but I expect to start getting some practice hikes soon, and I'm hoping for a robust winter.
Good luck.
It would be an interesting experiment, just keep in mind your skin, lips, nose and eyes would be drier. Does this mean viruses are more likely to get in? I think I read dry air helps them spread, but don't quote me on that.
I think I'm looking for ANY excuse to get to move to the mountains. LOL.
The only thing that makes a difference to me is being on good meds. However, if it helps, maybe it is something you want the think about-moving, that is!