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Taking an active role in the management of your rheumatoid arthritis
Introduction
Living with rheumatoid arthritis can mean living with chronic pain,
fatigue, and joint stiffness. Thousands of people have benefited from
developing and following plans to help them manage their symptoms. You and your
health professional can develop a medical treatment plan that may include
medication and other therapies. Early medical treatment can help you avoid
disabling joint changes and chronic pain.
Besides following your medical treatment plan, there are several
steps you can take to maintain your normal life and activities. This is often
called self-management. The first steps include:
- Learning as much as you can about rheumatoid
arthritis.
- Learning ways to reduce joint pain, fatigue, and
stiffness.
- Taking an active role in managing your rheumatoid
arthritis.
 What does it mean to take an active role in the management of rheumatoid arthritis?
 Why is it important to take an active role in developing a management plan for rheumatoid arthritis?
 How do I manage my rheumatoid arthritis?
 Where to go from here
Return to topic:
What does it mean to take an active role in the management of rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is going to be big part of your life, perhaps
for years—perhaps for the rest of your life. If you become involved in the
day-to-day management of your health, you stand a better chance of maintaining
the activities that fill your life. If you take on this job the same way you
would take on a new career position, knowing it will require daily learning and
practicing and that there will be setbacks as well as successes, you are on
your way to managing your rheumatoid arthritis.
- Knowing what you will physically be able to do
tomorrow, next year, and beyond, starts with learning what rheumatoid arthritis
is and what is happening inside your body.
- The next step is
learning what you can do and what your limits are.
- The third step
is forming and following a self-management plan for your life.
Test Your Knowledge
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An important step in my management plan for rheumatoid
arthritis is learning as much as possible about the disease and what it
does.
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True
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False
Continue to Why is it important to take an active role in developing a management plan for rheumatoid arthritis?
Return to  Taking an active role in the management of your rheumatoid arthritis
Why is it important to take an active role in developing a management plan for rheumatoid arthritis?
Early medication-based treatment for rheumatoid arthritis may limit
joint damage and help you to avoid permanent disability. However, even with
that successful outcome, the disease may be active for years. During that time,
and in the periods of time when the disease is not active (in remission), you
will want to continue with the activities that make life complete. An effective
treatment plan should include both exercise and creative ways to get projects
done as an important part of your daily routine.
Test Your Knowledge
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Having rheumatoid arthritis means that I have to stop
doing aerobics, cleaning house, or other active routines.
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True
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False
Continue to How do I manage my rheumatoid arthritis?
Return to Taking an active role in the management of your rheumatoid arthritis
How do I manage my rheumatoid arthritis?
Understand your arthritis:
- Learn about your body and what is happening to
it with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Learn about your health
professionals, the recommended medications, and what they can do for
you.
- Find out what can improve your health, such as losing weight
or starting a flexibility
exercise program.
Learn how to cope with chronic pain, fatigue, and
stiffness:
- Experiment and learn what can help you feel
better and what makes things worse. Some people can write without pain while
others can't, and the same goes for walking, aerobics, etc.
- Learn
basic skills, such as ways to use your body that protect stiff areas, that will
help you continue activities.
- Explore the use of splints, canes,
and other
assistive devices that can help you avoid discomfort
while staying active.
Take an active role in managing your
arthritis:
- Gather information about rheumatoid arthritis
and the steps you can take to stay active.
- Work with your team of
health professionals, friends, and family to set up a self-management
plan.
- Set goals to practice your coping and strengthening skills
and incorporate these goals into your life.
- Follow through with
your self-management plan on a day-to-day basis.
Test Your Knowledge
-
Various routines, assistive devices, and flexibility
exercises have been developed to help people with rheumatoid arthritis cope
with pain and stiffness.
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True
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False
Continue to Where to go from here
Return to Taking an active role in the management of your rheumatoid arthritis
Where to go from here
To learn more about how to set up a self-management plan for
rheumatoid arthritis, contact your health professional.
For more information on arthritis self-management plans, the
following resources are available:
Book
| The Arthritis Helpbook: A Tested Self-Management Program for Coping with Arthritis and Fibromyalgia |
| Author/Editor: | K. Lorig, RN, DPH
J.F. Fries, MD |
| Publisher: | Addison-Wesley Publishing Company |
| Publication Date: | 1995 |
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The Arthritis Helpbook has been used by
thousands of people to help them achieve their own health goals. The book
includes proven techniques to reduce pain and increase dexterity, tips for good
diets and achieving and maintaining healthy weight, step-by-step exercise
programs, detailed information on assistive devices, and advice to help people
overcome fatigue and other symptoms related to having chronic arthritis.
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Organization
| Arthritis Foundation |
| 1330 West Peachtree Street |
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Suite 100 |
| Atlanta, GA 30309 |
| Phone: | 1-800-283-7800 |
| Web Address: | www.arthritis.org |
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The Arthritis Foundation provides grants to help find a cure,
prevention methods, and better treatment options for arthritis. It also
provides a large number of community-based services nationwide to make living
with arthritis easier, including self-help courses; water- and land-based
exercise classes; support groups; home study groups; instructional videotapes;
public forums; free educational brochures and booklets; the national, bimonthly
consumer magazine Arthritis Today; and continuing
education courses and publications for health professionals.
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Return to Taking an active role in the management of your rheumatoid arthritis
Credits
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Associate Editor | Terrina Vail |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD
- Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Stanford M. Shoor, MD
- Rheumatology |
| Last Updated | August 23, 2006 |
True
This answer is correct.
Learning about rheumatoid arthritis is an important step in
developing a management plan that can work for you.
False
This answer is incorrect.
Learning about rheumatoid arthritis is an important step in
developing a management plan that can work for you.
True
This answer is incorrect.
Having rheumatoid arthritis does not have to mean that
physical activities have to stop. Developing and following a self-management
plan that keeps you moving every day is the best way to stay in charge of your
health and life.
False
This answer is correct.
Having rheumatoid arthritis does not have to mean that
physical activities have to stop. Developing and following a self-management
plan that keeps you moving every day is the best way to stay in charge of your
health and life.
True
This answer is correct.
Learning basic skills—such as ways to use your body that
protect stiff areas—will help you continue activities, and exploring the use of
splints, canes, and other mechanical aids can help you avoid discomfort.
False
This answer is incorrect.
Learning basic skills—such as ways to use your body that
protect stiff areas—will help you continue activities, and exploring the use of
splints, canes, and other mechanical aids can help you avoid discomfort.
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