Exercise for Rheumatoid Arthritis

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in addition to drug treatment, reasonable exercise has a positive effect on the improvement of RA

Why should people with rheumatoid arthritis exercise? 

RA is a systemic autoimmune disease with unknown etiology mainly involving peripheral joints

Morning stiffness, joint pain and tenderness, joint swelling, and joint dysfunction caused by RA seriously affect the quality of life of patients

The answer is yes

Exercise not only relieves pain, effectively improves muscle strength and endurance, but also increases joint range of motion to promote venous and lymphatic return, thereby helping to eliminate joint swelling

How to exercise with rheumatoid arthritis

joint range of motion training

It can promote blood circulation, promote the dissipation of inflammation, relieve pain, relax tight muscles, increase muscle metabolism, and make the wrapped joints more stable

(1) Knuckles: One hand helps the other to flex the distal knuckles first, then the proximal knuckles and metacarpophalangeal joints

(2) Wrist joint: put both hands together, place the wrist flat on the table, and flex it to both sides repeatedly;

(3) Elbow joint: palm up, arms stretched forward

(4) Shoulder joint: relax the shoulder, swing the hand back and forth or do a circular motion, and touch the opposite shoulder with both hands from the front and back;

(5) Knee joint: knee flexion exercise in prone position, repeated forced flexion and extension of the calf, and alternate lower limbs;

(6) Ankle joint: Repeated flexion, dorsi-extension, varus, valgus and left and right rotation of the ankle joint

(7) Neck joint: Repeatedly do the flexion and extension of the neck, flex the head and neck from the left to the right and rotate the neck left and right

The above joint exercises are performed once a day in the morning, at noon and in the evening, 5 to 30 times each time

strength training

The muscle strength of RA patients is significantly weakened, which is about 60% of that of healthy people of the same age, which makes the buffering effect of muscles and tendons on the joints also weakened, and the joints are often in an unstable state, which aggravates the damage of the joints

①Isometric contraction: The affected muscles and the muscles around the affected joints actively and rhythmically contract statically and relax, and the contraction lasts for 5-10s at the maximum muscle output, such as static training exercises such as yoga;

②Isotonic contraction: keep the joint in a relatively stable position, or control the speed of movement and the speed of limb movement, so as to enhance muscle strength without aggravating arthritis or causing pain

③ Progressive resistance exercise or freehand resistance exercise: on the basis of muscle strength enhancement, or attach a heavy object to the moving limb, or use fixed objects, body weight, training equipment, etc.

Each exercise must follow the principle of gradual, gradually increasing resistance

Exercise at least 2 times a day, which can be done at the same time as joint range of motion training

Aerobic exercise

Moderate aerobic exercise (the heart rate reaches 60% to 80% of the maximum heart rate during exercise) can not only relax the muscles and relieve the spasm of the tissues around the joints, but also help the blood circulation of the local joints and prevent the accumulation of inflammatory substances , promote the dissipation of inflammation
.
It can not only improve the patient's physical function, but also improve the patient's psychological, social function and self-awareness of health, thereby improving the overall quality of life of the patient
.

Aerobic exercise includes walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, bed rest and other exercises
.

If the condition allows, you can go to the park for a slow walk, and insist on walking for 20 to 30 minutes every day
.
Jogging has a large amount of exercise, and a combination of light running and walking can be used for better results
.
Do not move too far or use too much force
.
If you experience joint discomfort during exercise, you should stop immediately and try again after resting for a while
.

Cycling can exercise leg muscles, exercise joint endurance, help reduce joint symptoms, and because of the lever principle of pedals, cycling can not only exercise knee joints, but also will not cause a burden on the knee joints
.
 

Bedside exercise is simple and practical
.
The specific method is to sit on the edge of the bed, let the calf hang against the edge of the bed or just touch the ground, and then slowly exert force to lift the calf to a horizontal position, then slowly lower it, and practice repeatedly for 10 to 20 minutes
.

In conclusion, through appropriate exercise, the joint mobility and quality of life of RA patients can be significantly improved, thereby reducing the disability rate
.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients can have a higher quality of life as long as they are diagnosed in a timely manner, treated reasonably, exercise, and have a positive and healthy attitude!

references:

[1] Rheumatology Branch of Chinese Medical Association.
2018 Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis in China [J].
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine, 2018, 57(4):10.

【2】Tian Fengqin.
The effect of functional exercise on the curative effect of rheumatoid arthritis patients[J].
Modern Medicine and Health, 2010, 26(7):2.

【3】Wu Mingfang.
Exercise prescription for patients with rheumatoid arthritis[J].
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2002, 6(019):2842-2843.

【4】Xie Xia, Chen Hong.
Application status of exercise therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis[J].
Chinese Journal of Nursing, 2015, 050(009):1100-1103.