Arthritis Support Group Online

The Arthritis Support Group

We want to hear about your experiences living with Arthritis! Share stories, discuss tips and learn from your fellow HelloLife users in the Arthritis group!

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Group Health Coaches (2) Ask

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Safely and quickly starts relieving arthritis symptoms and muscle pain including stiffness and inflammation
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2
Candice
I'm 21 and I have been diagnosed with RA at 14. My rheumatoid doctor hasn't given me really anything to help with the pain and only given me naproxen plaqunel(sp?) and vitamin d mad nothing is helping1/13
- Dr. Jeff Chamberlain, MD said:
  Candice,
  
  Living with RA can be frustrating, painful, and sometimes difficult to control.
  
  In RA, the immune system is attacking the joints, this not only causes pain in the joints, but it also causes further destruction of the joints. The goal of the plaquenil is to help prevent destruction of the joints and provide pain relief by stopping your immune system from attacking the joints. It is important to remember that every one is different, so it might take time to figure out what is the best treatment for you.
  
  If your current treatment is not working, then it is very important to follow up with your doctor. I always recommend that when people start a treatment, they should ask their doctor: 1. How long until they can expect results. 2. What to do if they are not getting the desired results.
  
  I highly recommend reading some of the blogs and Q&As we have here on HelloLife. There is a log of good advise about natural ways to treat RA symptoms.
  
  As always, talk to your health care provider about which treatments might be right for you. I recommend starting with the safest treatments first and moving on from there.
  
  I recommend that people who suffer from chronic pain should read the book “The Gift of Pain” by Paul Brand & Philip Yancey.
  
  Stay Healthy! Dr. Jeff M.D.1/26
- Jessica Corwin, RD said:
  Hi Candice,
  
  I can feel your frustration through the Web. It must be very difficult to not feel as though your physician is addressing all of your needs.
  
  As a registered dietitian, I of course focus on the foods we are eating, taking a more holistic approach to addressing health concerns. This is always a great place to at least review and/or experiment with as our diet has an incredible impact on every cell within our bodies. I also agree that medicine plays an incredible and important role as well and this is why I am grateful Dr. Jeff is here to share his advice as well. When it comes to food choices with RA, I encourage you to take a peek at this blog post I wrote on this very topic: http://www.hellolife.net/arthritis/b/relieve-arthritis-with-diet-changes/ Essentially encouraging a plant-based, Mediterranean style diet, rich with heart healthy fats found in fatty fish, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts. This type of diet can help to reduce the inflammation throughout your body which some research indicates may help to reduce the pain caused by the highly inflammatory diseases of arthritis. Dietary changes may not offer instant pain relief, but after following this type of diet for up to 6 months, many people have found their pain reduced.
  
  Here at HelloLife, we also have a pain management support group which may serve as a helpful resource for you as well: http://www.hellolife.net/pain-management/
  
  Welcome to HelloLife, Candice, and please do not hesitate to ask any other questions at all. We're here to help :)
  
  Be well,
  Jessica Corwin, RD1/29
0
John
The Arthritis National Research Foundation celebrates 15 years of 90 cents of every dollar going to research:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg…
1/9
1
E.M. Wollof
Mindfulness Meditation can help with the pain caused by RA:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28…
1/3
- Bri Luginbill said:
  "people who partake in mindfulness exercises had less fatigue and lower levels of stress than people who just receive standard treatment for the condition." I have heard so many benefits that meditation brings in all areas of health. This just confirms that meditation is a great natural way to feel better! :)1/31
0
John
An impressive new research study shows some extremely promising arthritis symptom relief capabilities:
http://www.economist.com/node/21541379?f…
12/9
0
E.M. Wollof
A beacon of hope for those worried about the future:
http://marplenewtown.patch.com/articles/…
12/8
7
HelloLife is proud to offer Rhumatol to members of this support group.
"Rhumatol has really been a blessing for my pain..." — Gary
0
John
Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children's Arthritis Foundation gives a kid suffering from juvenile arthritis a real nice tech package:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/498169
11/22
0
E.M. Wollof
Though the concept may seem simple, dropping some pounds will help prevent a future run in with knee arthritis:
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medi…
11/18
0
Jessica Corwin, RD
Arthritis can make exercise painful. However, recent research indicates that a little exercise pain can lead to a gain in joint health and reduce overall pain in the long run.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/201…11/10