Rheumatoid arthritis is a common condition in the highly populated city of Tampa, Florida. There are excellent Tampa rheumatoid arthritis specialists who you should visit if you suffer from the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder where your immune system attacks healthy tissues instead of sick ones. Over one million Americans struggle with rheumatoid arthritis every day.
Joint pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Though there is much a RA specialist can do to help you with the disease, you can also do much to manage the disease yourself.
The following are tips on how to manage rheumatoid arthritis at home:
Mild Exercise
Movement is excruciating when you have rheumatoid arthritis, and exercise might be the last thing on your mind. However, exercise is indispensable in helping you deal with the condition.
Exercise could alleviate the stiffness in your joints and lessen the pain you feel. It also serves to warm up and increase blood circulation in the joints, which is excellent for pain relief.
You should only engage in mild exercises such as yoga, walking, and swimming that have a low impact on your joints and bones. Only when you are comfortable with gentle exercise should you move one to more strenuous ones.
Massage
Massage dates back thousands of years and has been used to relieve inflammation and pain for equally as long. It has been around for such a long time because it is so effective.
A good massage at home can significantly reduce the inflammation and pain you feel when you have rheumatoid arthritis. However, you should consult a doctor to see how it will affect your body specifically.
You can perform the massage on yourself if you know how to do it. On the other hand, a licensed massage therapist is in the best position to provide such a massage.
Deep Breathing Exercises and Muscle Relaxation
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that mostly affects your bones and muscles. Relaxing your body is a great way to relieve the tension in these areas and reduce the condition’s effects.
Deep breathing exercises are beneficial in this regard. They will leave your body and mind feeling relaxed, reducing flare ups and the intensity of the pain caused by the illness.
It would help if you progressively tightened then relax various muscles in your body. Start with the head and then work your way down the body.
Diet
What you eat has a significant effect on the state of your rheumatoid arthritis. Your diet may either worsen or improve your condition.
Therefore, you should eat a diet with foods meant to help your joints and muscles. You should also eat foods that help reduce inflammation in the body, hence lowering the amount of pain you feel due to RA.
Such foods include raw or steamed vegetables, fruits rich in antioxidants such as grapes and oranges, and spices like turmeric & ginger.
You should also avoid eating foods that have a lot of processed sugar and flour as well as minimizing animal products.