Alternative Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid
arthritis, or RA, is a debilitating, painful autoimmune disease that
affects the joints, causing severe pain and discomfort. Patients
with RA suffer not only from pain, but stiffness, fatigue, fever,
and sleep disorders. According to healthandage.com (http://www.healthandage.com/),
RA is a chronic disease that will affect a patient throughout their
lifetime, requiring a variety of medicines, physical therapy, and in
extreme cases, surgery.
While there is no cure, there are several
treatment options, including complementary/alternative medicine,
commonly called
Nonetheless, some patients have great successes
with alternative treatments. It is important to stress that
alternative treatments are not meant as a complete replacement for
conventional medical treatments. The NCCAM also stresses that
patients should first seek diagnosis by a doctor, and follow up
treatment with a rheumatologist. Also worth noting is that few
alternative treatments have been proven to be completely effective,
though some have shown promise, and more study is required.
So what are alternative treatments? There are a surprising number of alternative options available that might mean the avoidance of invasive surgeries, and they are not all herbal supplements, as you might think. Herbs are one way sufferers go about treating their disease. Many herbs – ginger, turmeric, frankincense – may help relieve arthritis symptoms, says Arthritis Treatment and Relief: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com/.
However, none of these herbs has been proven to work, and again more research is needed. Another form of treatment applies physical therapy in the form of acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, and balneotherapy, or spa therapy. The theory here is not necessarily to treat the joints themselves, but to provide forms of relief to the symptoms of the arthritis. These must generally be done often to provide substantial relief.
Another popular idea has been the use of yoga and tai chi, as well as forms of meditation, for pain control. Exercise for patients with RA has to be strictly limited to avoid inflammation. However, small amounts of exercise helps to relieve some of the painful symptoms associated with RA. That is where yoga and tai chi come in. They help patients maintain muscle flexibility and increase mobility, stamina, and overall health. Perhaps the most important consideration to take when contemplating complementary or alternative medicines is trying them and deciding what works best for you. To learn more about RA, visit http://ra.com/.