Wellness for a Life with Rheumatic Disease

“Wellness is when lives are lived well. It includes all things that affect a patient, their mind, body, spirit, family, community and functionality.”

Here you will learn about a study into diet and exercise with patients who had inflammatory arthritis and what a group of doctors are suggesting to benefit the overall wellness of their patients with autoimmune disease. 

WHAT IS INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS?

Inflammatory arthritis is joint inflammation caused by an overactive immune system. It  causes pain in many joints throughout the body at the same time. There are many types of inflammatory arthritis including:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Gout 
• Lyme disease
• Lupus
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• 
  

WELLNESS FOR A LIFE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS:

It is no secret that, in terms of general health, it’s better to eat a salad than a burger and fries. It’s no secret that going for a walk is better than sitting on the couch watching television. It’s no secret that practicing yoga or meditation can provide some peace in a busy, cluttered life. And it’s no secret that improving these wellness-related lifestyle habits can pay dividends for patients with rheumatic or autoimmune diseases.

Despite these well-known facts, both rheumatologists and patients consistently report poor dietary habits, alarming rates of tobacco and alcohol use, and insufficient exercise among individuals with these conditions. Many experts believe it’s past time to discuss why.

One such expert is Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, vice chair of rheumatic and immunologic disease at Cleveland Clinic and chief medical editor of Healio Rheumatology. “The time for wellness has come,” he said. 

“We are no longer satisfied with merely treating disease activity and only measuring our patients progress with standard disease activity scores. For too long, wellness has been considered an alternative to medication. That needs to change.”

THE STUDY: 

In a recent study published in Musculoskeletal Care, Garner and colleagues tested the feasibility of a personalized diet and exercise regimen, along with individualized counseling, in 30 patients with inflammatory arthritis who were assigned standard of care or the intervention. 

Results showed nonsignificant improvements in physical activity, LDL cholesterol level and intake of vitamin C, iron, fiber, vitamin A and folate among patients in the intervention arm.

So it was a small study and it was disappointing that improvements were not really seen. So what can be done instead to improve wellness in people with rheumatic diseases? 

HERE IS WHAT SOME OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING:

Dr. Leonard H. Calabrese, vice chair of rheumatic and immunologic disease at Cleveland Clinic, encourages clinicians to think holistically and hopes that biologic companies start to offer wellness education and training. 

Dr. Nicole M. Cotter, a rheumatologist believes that doctors should address their patients's lifestyle practices. She says that nutrition, decreasing stress and moving more, can complement standard pharmacotherapeutic treatments.

Professor R. Swamy Venuturupalli, a rheumatologist says that his profession of rheumatology is generally open to new ideas and new approaches because they see patients who continue to suffer over a prolonged period of time.

Professor John R.P. Tesser, says the benefits of simple exercise cannot be overstated. He looks at the challenges of each individual patient and prescribes an exercise program starting from where they are. “If the person has significant body pain and is not obese, but cannot move because of the pain, I encourage them to mobilize, even if it’s simply walking inside the house for a week, then around the block for a week. If they have trouble doing that, we can find another way to suit their needs.”

Elizabeth Kirchner, CNP, addresses her patients issues around finding ways to exercise. She also believes in educating doctors as well as patients in the many benefits of adopting a healthier lifestyle. 

When you READ FULL ARTICLE you will find the many ways these doctors are helping their patients with wellness. 

SUMMARY OF THESE SUGGESTIONS FOR WELLNESS WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASE:

• move more: with the important proviso of starting where you are and starting small.
• nutrition: a general healthy diet
• decrease stress
• learn more about wellness from reliable sources

MY TAKE ON ALL THIS:

So nothing really new here and certainly no magic bullet. Just the basis of a good healthy life. And while many of us who have ended up with chronic illness may feel we were already doing these things before we became unwell we still need to maintain these healthy practices or we begin to feel even worse. It is a big hurdle for many people who feel why should they bother and also that the burden of their health issues is all upon themselves. the good news is that these doctors and many others are awakening to the importance of not just prescribing medications but also wellness prescriptions. It is also heartening to see that they are not just saying you need to exercise and lose weight but they are tailoring their wellness prescriptions to the individuals unique needs and situation.