Chronic Disease Diagnosis - the example of rheumatoid arthritis
Today, we want to acknowledge our many patients who are either directly affected by chronic disease diagnosis, or are supporting a relative or friend in this situation.
Let us first define “chronic disease”. This is any illness that will affect somebody for a long time, potentially a lifetime. It covers conditions as diverse as rheumatoid or osteo-arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus, multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia, to name but a few.
More often than not, after the initial shock of the chronic disease diagnosis, the message received by the patient is essentially “take your medication and learn to live with it”. Does this therefore mean that we must essentially allow the condition to dominate our life? Do we resign ourselves to the fact that there can be no journey to health; only one of disease management?
We disagree! Firstly, think of the term “chronic”, which comes from the ancient Greek word for time. Let us put time back on your side; take a step back to gain perspective and make a plan. Secondly, many complementary therapies such as counselling, nutrition, massage and Pilates provide the very input of mindfulness, molecular health, physical alertness and balance required to address and manage the condition more positively and successfully. Thirdly, as soon as you meet chronic disease with a clear ‘mind, body and lifestyle’ strategy, you place yourself outside of all the average health prognoses and life expectancy statistics for your condition. Instead you begin to blaze your own personal trail; on your unique journey of health.
Receiving a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis can leave you feeling vulnerable and worried about what the future holds for your body. The peak demographic to be diagnosed is 50, but it isn’t uncommon to be diagnosed in your early 30’s. Women tend to be affected more than men and whilst the cause isn’t fully understood, there is known to be a genetic component which can be triggered by environmental factors such as viruses and trauma. It is important to manage your rheumatoid arthritis well, as if poorly treated it can lead to irreversible joint damage and deformity. Modern ways of management have improved vastly and those with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis will often lead a full and active life. Here, we will touch on the main symptoms of this disease and the ways in which an osteopath may be able to offer help.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differs from osteoarthritis (OA) which is general ‘wear and tear’ of a joint, usually on one side. RA is an auto-immune condition where the body attacks the linings of the joints, eroding bone and cartilage. Whilst OA tends to affect larger joints, in RA the smaller joints are involved. The main symptoms of RA include;
• Swelling of the fingers (which can appear sausage-shaped)
• Pain and stiffness of the hands and feet that is worse in the mornings, lasting longer than 30 minutes
• Pain at the joints where the fingers connect to the hand (knuckles)
• Redness of the affected joints
• Fatigue that is more severe than normal tiredness
As rheumatoid arthritis is a symmetrical arthritis it will usually affect both sides of the body and often affects multiple joints. It is a systemic disease so sometimes other organs are affected such as the heart and eyes.
If you are struggling with any of these symptoms it is important to seek advice from your GP and obtain a diagnosis as soon as possible as medication is needed to reduce inflammation and slow progression of the disease.
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Additionally, seeking help from a manual therapist such as an osteopath can be hugely beneficial for encouraging joint mobility and reducing pain and stiffness symptoms. Treatment is rarely painful and often relief from symptoms is experienced straight away. An osteopath will use a variety of techniques such as;
• Soft and deep tissue massage – to encourage increased blood flow to muscles and joints and reduce muscular pain and stiffness
• Lymphatic drainage techniques – to reduce associated swelling of the joints and ease the tightness that can be felt in the limbs
• Joint mobilisation – these are gentle techniques that encourage flexibility of the joints and ligaments through traction and movement, helping to reduce the feelings of stiffness
• Specific exercises and stretches – these are tailored to each individual and are designed to strengthen muscles and improve joint function.
Case Study
Jenny is a 55 year old receptionist. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her mid 40’s for which she is medicated, but has only sought osteopathic treatment over the last few years. Her primary symptoms are bilateral hand, wrist and finger pain, stiffness and swelling with intermittent involvement of her ankles. Her symptoms are generally managed well with gentle traction and mobilisation of the upper limb joints and work into the muscles and fascia of the hands and forearm which are prone to over-tightening. She avoids impact exercise and finds most relief from aerobic-based exercise in water and swimming which help to traction the joint surfaces and ease pressure. We recommended regular stretching to the upper limb muscles to reduce tension related stiffness and hand strengthening exercises to encourage muscle contraction and drainage of the finger swelling.
This type of treatment could also be applicable to other types of inflammatory arthritides such as psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, but is tailored to each individual accordingly.
If you, or someone you know, have received a diagnosis of a chronic inflammatory condition, there is no need to just accept pain and discomfort. Often there are effective techniques that can reduce your joint pain and swelling and help you live life to the fullest.
Find out more
Have you recently been given a chronic disease diagnosis that you would want to discuss with us? Are you based in West London? Please feel free to book an appointment with our West London based Bridge To Health Osteopath Marius Januskevicius at 01895 2000 50 or via email at marius@bridgetohealth.co.uk.
