Raging Against Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Hello again! Sorry for the absence from the blogosphere, university has been taking up a fair amount of my time. I'm now on break, however, so I'm ready to write some new posts for you all!

A few months ago I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my knees, and it's really affected my life. I used to go to the gym 3 times a week but now it's a push to even do 5 minutes on an exercise bike. I can't walk or stand for long amounts of time, and I live with some pain and swelling in my knees. My consultant has put me on a low dose of steroids, but knowing the potential long-term side effects of this, I've decided to do a little research on how diet and exercise can help to improve the condition, and I thought that I would share it with you!

Diet

1)Fish Oils

There has been some research to show that these can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the joints (as well as being great for skin, hair and nails), and are overall great supplements for joint health.

2) Fruit and vegetables

This may sound obvious, but a diet rich in colourful fruit and veg (colour denotes a high level of antioxidants) can help to prevent, and ease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Antioxidants help to aid our immune-system and possibly reduce the inflammatory reaction in our joints, provoked by RA.

3)Calcium

Necessary for overall joint health. If you are lactose-intolerant, or just not a big fan of milk like myself, then make sure that any dairy-replacement you take contains added calcium. I eat and drink soya products, and always make sure to check this.

Exercise

Care should be taken to avoid activities that will put stress and pressure on your joints - for example, running on a concrete pavement. Instead, consider low-impact exercise that will slowly allow you to gain strength in your joints, and keep active. Try swimming, cycling and perhaps yoga. There is research being carried out to assess if yoga and pilates, if practised over a long period of time, can help to alleviate the symptoms of RA.

So there is a very quick introduction to RA and some ways in which the condition may be improved. Unfortunately I will have this for the rest of my life, but I do hope that by introducing some of the above habits now, over time I will see an improvement in my condition. Fingers crossed!

Nati xXx

P.S A big shout-out to my friend Grace, who recently discovered my blog and enjoying all my posts!!