Protect the damaged joints.
Proper ways of behaving in daily life can help to alleviate joint pains, slow down progression of the illness condition and prevent occurrence of permanent deformity:
*Avoid overuse of small joints.
In case of strong force, small joints such as knuckles are more likely to get deformed than major joints. Therefore, if you lift up heavy objects, you should avoid simply using the knuckles, but use more of your arms, wrists or palms.
*Avoid staying in the same posture for long.
Avoid long-time standing, take some time to sit down and have a rest. When you sit, change your sitting postures and position of the feet, or stretch the limbs often. Avoid bending your knuckles for long while doing certain activities such as writing, knitting, typing, repairing, etc, and take some time to have a rest and stretch the knuckles.
*Avoid keeping the joints in deformed position for long.
Maintain good postures while sitting, walking or sleeping.
*Avoid excessive energy consumption
Properly arrange the things in your house. Put the commonly used stuff to the place within reach of your hand. Put the heavy and uncommonly used stuff into cabinet. Try to avoid postures such as bending, climbing, crouching, etc. Use a tool when carrying goods so as to save energy.
Daily care methods for joint protection
*For the patients with RA, early active assistant daily care can help to maintain joint functions. In the later stages, joints may deform and joint functions will be severely affected. The following are some tips for joint protection:
*Handrail can be installed on the walls in washing room to help you stand up easier.
*Avoid washing your hair with strong force of knuckles.
*Avoid strong force of knuckles when using clothes pin, nail clippers and spray; avoid pulling the drawer with one or two knuckles; avoid fetching kettle with knuckles.
Exercise therapy
Under permitted condition, the patients can do certain exercise properly. Exercise can help to improve blood circulation, strengthen physical constitution, prevent Osteoporosis, and prevent joint rigidity and deformity. In stable stage, the patients can do certain functional exercise, and activities that cause little burden on the joints, such as curvature movements of hip, knee or ankle joints while lying on bed. The activity strength should be gradually increased. When the patients are in active or flare-up stage, however, you will need to reduce activity strength, have more rest and improve nutrition support. In daily life, you will remember to carefully control the illness condition. If the symptoms are aggravating, you will need to seek for treatment immediately.
