Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms And 5 Natural Treatments
As Im sure youre well aware, an estimated 52.5 million U.S. adults suffer from some sort of arthritis, and one common form is rheumatoid arthritis . How wide does this disease cast its net? Rhematoid arthritis affects a staggering 1.3 million to 1.5 million Americans at any given time.
Thus the question arises: Is there anything you can do about this? As a matter of fact, there are a few things you can do to treat rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, and it starts with, well, knowing what those common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are.
Lets take a look at what RA is, the most common RA symptoms, and all-natural treatments for this form of arthritis.
Other Supplements And Magnesium Oil
These include joint supplements which can help and are beneficial for the joints. Common joint supplements that may assist you include glucosamine, chondroitin and the well-known pain reliever, turmeric.
Magnesium oil is a mixture of magnesium chloride flakes and water. Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have been found to benefit from its application to painful joints.
Apply magnesium oil regularly if you want to reverse rheumatoid arthritis.
Should I Take Any Supplements For Ra
Some people with RA may need more of certain vitamins and minerals. The best source is always food, but if you need a little extra help you might consider adding a supplement.
Some of the commonly recommended include:
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Folic acid: This synthetic form of vitamin B9 can help manage methotrexate side effects. In fact, a recent Cochrane Review found that just 1 mg of folic acid a day was enough to help patients taking the drug.
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Vitamin C: Critical for immune function, vitamin C is important for anyone with a chronic disease who may be an increased risk for infection.
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Vitamin D: Levels of D tend to be low in people with RA. Research suggests RA may make you less sensitive to the nutrient, increasing the need for supplementation. Look for vitamin D3, the most easily absorbed form.
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Calcium: Because RA patients have an increased risk of osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend a calcium supplement, often in combination with vitamin D, which helps improve its absorption.
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Vitamin B12: Proper levels of vitamin B12 may help combat fatigue, a common RA symptom.
Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement. She may order a blood test to check for deficiencies, and can recommend the proper dose for you.
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Basics About Vitamins And Minerals
Vitamins are chemicals that our bodies need to maintain health. Except for vitamin D, which is produced in our bodies when were exposed to sun , we typically get our daily requirement of vitamins from dietary sources . Minerals are inorganic substances.
There is general agreement that consuming the recommended daily allowance of basic vitamins and minerals is needed to stay healthy. There is controversy, however, about whether some people should take more than the RDA of certain vitamins and minerals. Getting too much of some vitamins and minerals may be dangerous to general health. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor before you take any vitamin or mineral supplement .
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What Is The Treat
If youve ever set a huge goal for yourself, then you know you had to plan your steps to reach itand prepare for a little trial and error along the way. That pretty much sums up the treat to target” strategy, which has remission as its goal. The approach: Docs put newly diagnosed patients on meds right away, closely monitor progress, and adjust the scripts and doses frequently until theyve hit that goal.
Its a much more aggressive approach than doctors took decades ago, when there was less monitoring, more cautious treatment, andno surprise herea lower standard of success. Treat-to-target is now the go-to for RA treatment, and its helping patients live longer, healthier lives.
One study suggests T2T may improve your chances of remission by 50%. The reason: Shooting for a specific target seems to encourage doctors to change up therapies as they need to, leading to better outcomes. It makes sense: When the goal is remission, youre more likely to achieve it.
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Ra Facts And Prevalence
- As of 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 52.5 million U.S. adults suffer from some sort of arthritis equating about 23 percent of the population.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis. RA affects between 1.3 million and 1.5 million Americans at any given time.
- Women are three times more likely to develop RA than men. About 75 percent of RA patients are women and estimates now show that between 1 percent to 3 percent of women will get rheumatoid arthritis in their lifetimes.
- RA often starts in middle age, usually between the ages of about 3060, and is most common in older adults . Men tend to get RA later in life than women.
- A family history of RA increases the odds of developing it, however the majority of people with RA have no family history of the disease.
- RA is a systematic disease, which means it affects the whole body, including the heart, blood vessels and nerves. A 2010 Swedish study found that the risk of heart attack for people with RA was 60 percent higher one year after being diagnosed.
Apple Cider Vinegar For Arthritis
Apple cider vinegar is believed to be anti-inflammatory, so this could be helpful for those who live with arthritis. Try adding a spoonful to your next glass of water.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
: 9 August 2021
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Dietary Interventions In Ra
With the increasing evidence of altered microbiota in the gut of RA patients being responsible for pathogenesis as well as disease progression , it should be desirable for rheumatologists to advocate a supplemental diet therapy to RA patients. Various dietary plans for RA have been reported since long and are being repeatedly projected , such as medically supervised 710 days fasting , vegan or Mediterranean diets . We hereby discuss the reported dietary interventions that clearly indicate clinically and statistically significant and beneficial long-term effects for relieving symptoms, delay in disease progression and associated damages in RA patients. The outcomes of published randomized clinical trials performed on RA patients to observe the effect of various dietary interventions have been summarized in Table 1. A pictorial representation of effects put by various factors on progression/remission of RA is depicted in Figure 1.
Table 1. Summary of clinical trials of various dietary interventions in rheumatoid arthritis .
Work With A Health Coach
When I began my healing journey, I didnt know about health coaching. If I did my path to vitality would have been so much quicker! Food and lifestyle changes arent easy and that is where a health coach helps. She can help identify goals to work on, help with motivation to stay on track, identify blind spots and approaches to healing which you may not have considered.
Knowing the importance of having health coach when making major food and lifestyle changes is what motivated me to become one!
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Make Time For Deep Relaxation
This is similar to self-care, but the goal was to really focus on getting the mind relaxed so that the nervous system could be in the rest-and-digest mode rather than the fight-or-flight mode.
I used deep breathing or meditation to get into a relaxed state. When in this state, I would feel no pain so I tried to do this many times during the day, increasing the length of time where I experienced no pain. I especially liked to listen to guided healing meditations and imagining the healing that was happening in my body.
How To Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Naturally
Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain does not need to eliminate the usual medical care, but you can implement natural remedies to get relief from pain and stiffness. Ask pain management doctors whether you should try natural home remedies or not. If they give green signal, you can opt for the common treatments.
Here are some of the common treatments enlisted just for you.
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Probiotics To Reverse Rheumatoid Arthritis
As with most ailments your diet is very important. Probiotics are living microorganisms and provide health benefits when taken in the right amounts. They help colonize your gut with health-friendly bacteria. You find them in a range of different foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh and kimchi.
One type of probiotic is kombucha, a fermented mixture of yeast and bacteria taken in the form of a tea. Certain types of yeast can also act like probiotics. Thats because different probiotics address different health conditions. Talk to your nutritionist or doctor. They also need to ensure that that they dont react with any medication you may be taking.
Supplements can also contain probiotics . Some supplements contain a range of different probiotics. Again, seek advice from a nutritionist if you want to reverse rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Vs Lupus Vs Osteoarthritis
Lupus is another autoimmune disorder thats systematic in nature and can cause similar symptoms to rheumatoid arthritis. Like with RA, lupus can affect the nerves, blood vessels, heart, kidneys, liver and endocrine system. Symptoms of lupusare frequently mistaken for other health problems or autoimmune disorders since they also occur in flare-ups and can include achiness, fatigue, swelling, joint pain, rashes and fever.
A few differences exist between lupus and RA. One is that lupus very commonly causes a hallmark butterfly rash on the face and usually also noticeable fatigue. To help differentiate the two and make proper diagnoses, doctors use a combination of tests, including antibody blood tests, c-reactive protein tests, urine tests, medical examination and family history.
The Lupus Foundation of America points out that its also possible for someone with lupus to have rheumatoid arthritis and lupus at the same time. Doctors call this overlap. An overlap diagnosis is made when a patient meets the official criteria for two autoimmune diseases, and if this is the case it can be hard to tell which disorder causes symptoms on any given day.
How can you tell the difference between RA and osteoarthritis ?
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Individual Food Items In Diet And Their Relevance To Ra
In an average diet comprising of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there are several food items which are rich source of some phytochemicals and their efficacy in eradication of diseases has been known and is included under traditional medicines on which 80% of the world population relies . Food items such as dietary fibers, cooking oil, polyphenols, bioactive compounds from several herbs and beverages like tea are among the cheapest sources of medication however, their bioavailability has always been a matter of concern.
Seven Days Fasting Followed By Vegan Diet
Fraser et al. observed that subtotal fasting where patients were allowed to have limited amount of vitamin and mineral supplementation, carbohydrate, and energy in form of vegetable juice decreased CD4+ lymphocyte activation and numbers. Activation of CD4+ T cell and further differentiation to Th1 and Th17 lineages are shown to be responsible for progression of RA . Thus, decreased T cell activation owing to 710 day fasting suggests a transient immunosuppression, thereby suppressing RA . Michalsen et al. have also shown beneficial effect of fasting on clinical improvement in RA patients as compared to non-fasting group, although the results were independent of alterations in intestinal flora .
A fasting of 710 days with partial nutrient intake of vegetable broth, herbal teas, parsley, garlic, and decoction of potatoes juice extracts from carrots, beets, and celery and a controlled daily energy intake followed by 1 year of a vegan diet as compared to omnivorous diet was studied in different trials . Together these studies observed remarkable decrease in swollen and tender joints, pain, erythrocyte sedimentation rate , and C-reactive protein .
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Creams Gels And Lotions
Topical creams, gels, and lotions can be rubbed directly onto the skin to help ease painful joints. As the skin absorbs the ingredients, you may experience temporary relief of minor joint pain.
Topical ointments can also come in spray form or patches. Products that contain capsaicin, salicylates, camphor, or menthol are standard for treating arthritis.
Theres limited current research on using these treatments for RA. Still, a 2017 study found that a gel containing menthol, benzocaine, and procaine hydrochloride resulted in temporary pain relief in people with RA.
Arthritis medications in the form of creams may also be effective.
According to a 2015 study, etoricoxib cream, piroxicam cream, and diclofenac cream reduced pain and swelling for RA, with etoricoxib cream giving the most relief.
Interventional Treatments For Arthritis
Once youve made changes to your lifestyle, and have incorporated different stretching exercises into your routine, it may be time to talk to your doctor about additional treatments. First-line treatments should always focus on exercise, weight loss, and dietary changes.
After, you may consider these three interventional strategies:
- Taking medications, such as ibuprofen or topical creams, during pain flare-ups
- Receiving cortisone injections to provide pain relief and reduce inflammation
- Getting surgery
Medications and creams can provide short-term relief during acute flare-ups of pain. Joint injections and surgery are longer-term solutions that should only be considered after other strategies have been tried.
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Add Cloves To Your Diet
Cloves contain an anti-inflammatory chemical called eugenol that interferes with a bodily process that triggers arthritis. In one animal study, eugenol prevented the release of COX-2, a protein that spurs inflammation . Cloves also contain antioxidants, which are important in slowing the cartilage and bone damage caused by arthritis. Aim for ½ to 1 teaspoon a day for joint pain relief.
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What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory polyarthritis, says Dr. Rosian. Your body attacks the lining of joints. Over time, this can cause the cushion around these joints to break down. Rheumatoid arthritis causes erosions, she explains. It destroys those joints. This can lead to loss of independence because you cant do things like bathing, dressing and feeding yourself.
Dr. Rosian says rheumatoid arthritis can affect any joint in your body. However, it most commonly affects small joints, like those in your hands and feet. Still, rheumatoid arthritis is considered a systemic illness, meaning your whole body feels its impact.
When you have strep throat, the infection is in your throat, but you feel sick all over, says Dr. Rosian. Its similar with rheumatoid arthritis. You feel unwell, almost like you have the flu. You have a fever, but dont run a temperature. Or you may lose weight.
Other common signs and symptoms include muscle stiffness in the morning, swollen joints that are hot to the touch, fatigue and pain thats symmetrical meaning it emerges in both of your hands or both of your feet.
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Other Alternative Ways To Manage Ra
There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but the disease can be managed with a combination of early treatment, medication, and a healthcare providers supervision. Other ways to manage rheumatoid arthritis include physical or occupational therapy and assistive devices that will help prevent your joints from being overworked.
Hot or cold compresses can also ease pain for some. Healthcare providers recommend regular exercise to strengthen the muscles around the joints.
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Natural Treatment For Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Doctors practicing conventional medicine commonly use a combination of prescription drugs like anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids, biologic agents that alter the immune system or painkillers to help control RA symptoms. While these are necessary for some people, natural treatments can also make a huge impact in terms of helping lower pain, reduce swelling, prevent further joint damage and increase someones quality of life. Natural treatments also wont cause unwanted side effects, which are common due to arthritis medication use including liver damage, anemia, low platelet count, hair loss, kidney issues and heart problems.
Here are some ways you can manage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and prevent complications from developing naturally:
1. Eat an Anti-inflammatory Diet
2. Stay Active
Although RA can cause flare-ups of pain along with limited range of motion, staying active in general is a very important for controlling symptoms and managing joint inflammation. Joint pain associated with RA tends to be worse after periods of inactivity so exercise has many benefits.
3. Manage Stress and Get Enough Sleep
4. Control Pain Naturally
5. Reduce Inflammation with Supplements
Anti-inflammatory supplements that can help reduce arthritis pain include:
- turmeric and ginger extract
Final Thoughts on Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
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Interplay Between Dietary Products And The Host Microbiome For Maintenance Of Health And Disease Modulation
The human microbiota is composed of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, whose total population exceeds that of the host cells, and whose metabolic contribution to our state of health is essential . From here on, the prefix âmicroâ will be used to refer exclusively to prokaryotic organisms. The microbiome is an untapped source for identification of novel natural products for the treatment and prevention of disease such as RA. The associations between certain taxa of microbes and RA have been reported . In addition, a variety of bioactive molecules produced by the human microbiome can have significant effects on the immune system . There are three general approaches to harnessing the microbiome for RA prevention and treatment, namely the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and microbial-derived xenobiotics. Prebiotics are certain dietary ingredients metabolized by the microbiome to facilitate growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which in turn produce substances that are optimal for the local microenvironment and health of the intestines. Probiotics consist of living strains of beneficial bacteria. Microbial-derived xenobiotics are the molecules produced by the action of the microbiome action, for example, metabolic degradation/alteration of the dietary products consumed by the host and/or of the products released from the hostâs cellular processes.