What Kind of Work is Suitable for Patients with RA

What kind of work is suitable for patients with RA

Patient question: I have suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) for five years. Recently, I have moderate deformity of hand joints. I can not walk for long because of the bad pains. What kind of work is suitable for me?

Doctor Answer:
Generally, patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) should avoid outdoor work or work with severe labor, and should avoid working in humid or cold environment so as not to worsen the illness condition. In addition, you are not suggested to do work that requires overuse of your hands. Common office work with fixed work time and moderate labor and without strong stress is good choice for the patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
It is also better not to work in a room with airconditioning for long.

For the patients with RA, strict restriction of activities is harmful, and can result in joint stiffness, muscular atrophy, etc. In chronic stage, the patients should strengthen joint functional exercise, maintain joint activities and prevent deformity. In addition to routine work, leave some time for gentle exercising. If you experience severe uncontrollable pains during a flare-up, however, you will need to have more rest to recover.

In daily life, it will be good to have a caregiver to guide your routine life, tell the dos and don’ts, and provide useful suggestions for proper way of behaving to ease your pains and improve quality of life. For the help needed, you may communicate with your doctor, or contact with experts online freely.