Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain and stiffness in joints in the whole body. It starts in the hands and feet, hits joints on both sides and hits both knees or hands. This long term issue can affect everyday life and it is tough to keep moving and living well.
Causes
A mix of factors causes rheumatoid arthritis in the hands, knees, and feet. It affects folks in different ways. Some people get it after they get injured or as they grow old. Others might inherit it from their family. Things like smoking, germs, or hormone changes can kick it off too. As you age, your joints wear out. This leads to swelling, which makes everyday tasks a real pain. Dealing with RA means you’ve got to juggle all these tricky bits. Managing RA means navigating these complexities with care to ease pain and preserve mobility.
Symptoms
Rheumatoid arthritis affects each person uniquely. For some people, joint symptoms sneak in gradually over the years, while for others, they come crashing in unexpectedly. Living with rheumatoid arthritis feels like riding a rollercoaster of flare-ups and remissions. Symptoms can surge intensely and then ease off or vanish for a while, making each day unpredictable. These ups and downs can change how you go about your day, sometimes feeling almost normal, and other times, struggling with pain and stiffness.
Here are the symptoms of RA:
Common symptoms:
- Painful Joints: This is like a constant hurt or pounding pain, particularly on motion.
- Enlargement of the joints, heat, and redness: Sometimes, you may see that your joints become swollen and warm when touched and even red.
- Rigidness: It’s a tough time every morning or after sitting for too long–stiffness makes it difficult to start moving.
Other symptoms include:
- Fatigue: You feel very strained all through the day, even after sleeping well at night, which makes it hard to keep up with daily activities.
- Poor appetite and weight loss: You do not have this feeling of hunger at all, hence experiencing unintentional loss of weight.
- Fever and sweating: You might at times bring out the sense of feverishness or experience a lot of sweating.
- Dry eyes: Affecting your eyes to be dry, hence causing discomfort.
Treatment
Acupuncture, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is often hailed as a lifeline for easing arthritis symptoms, providing much-needed relief and improving daily comfort.
- Pain Relief: Acupuncture changes your brain’s processing regarding pain and strengthens those hormones produced by the body that relieve pain, such as endorphins.
- Reducing Inflammation: It encourages the body to produce cortisol, which helps control inflammation.
- Supports Immune Balance: Acupuncture shows promise in balancing immune function, which is particularly beneficial for those managing rheumatoid arthritis.
Conclusion
Dealing with rheumatoid arthritis daily is living through joint pains, stiffness as well as various symptoms that may look different; nevertheless, all are equally painful or discomforting. It is hard and requires good medications. Solace Physiotherapy is here to support you on your path to recovery. Contact us today and let our experienced team assist you in achieving restored health and well being.