Arthritis Care Questions

Except for a small number of infectious and traumatic arthritis that can be completely cured, the vast majority of degenerative and autoimmune arthritis currently cannot be cured. The core goals of nursing care are to relieve pain, slow down joint degeneration, and maintain normal life activities. There is no universal nursing program that applies to all patients. All measures must be dynamically adjusted based on arthritis classification and personal physical tolerance.

I have been in the orthopedic clinic for almost ten years and have seen too many patients take detours in care. The one who impressed me the most was Aunt Zhang, who came for a follow-up visit last year. She was 62 years old and had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees for three years. She had heard from relatives before that "arthritis means you have to save your joints."

In fact, doctors in different departments have different opinions on the question of whether to move for arthritis. When patients in the orthopedics emergency department encounter acute-stage patients with red, swollen and painful joints, most of them will tell them to "move less and rest more, and don't climb stairs or bear weight." However, doctors in the rehabilitation department have seen many cases of muscle disuse caused by long-term immobility. For example, they will urge patients to "do functional training as soon as possible. Only when the muscles are strong can the joints be relieved." Both sides are right, but the applicable stages are different: in the acute stage, when there is obvious effusion in the joints and the pain is so painful that you can't touch it, you should really reduce your activities as much as possible, and wear a brace if necessary.； When the redness and swelling subside and the pain becomes bearable, you have to move slowly. The most convenient way is to squat quietly with your back against the wall and your knees not going past your toes. Stop squatting until your thighs feel a little sore. There is no need to force the squat to 90 degrees. Practice two or three groups a day for more than ten seconds each time. If you persist for a month, you will obviously feel that your knees are much more stable when walking.

People always ask, “Does arthritis mean that we have to wear knee pads all year round, and we can’t wear shorts in the summer? ”, there are two completely different opinions here. Some popular science says that "cold will not directly cause arthritis, so there is no need to keep too warm." Some elders also say that "you will definitely suffer when you get old if your joints are frozen." In fact, what everyone is arguing about is not the same thing at all: cold itself does not induce arthritis, but it will constrict the blood vessels around the joints and prevent inflammatory metabolites from being discharged. Joints that are already inflamed will naturally The pain will be worse, so there is no need to carry it hard. If your knees hurt after wearing short skirts in winter, wear more fleece pants. If your joints feel cold when the air conditioner is blowing, just put a small blanket on it. Instead, I would like to remind everyone not to wear those tight knee pads for a long time. If you wear them for a long time, your muscles will be too lazy to exert force, and they will become weaker and weaker. You can only wear them when you go out for a long walk or when you have acute pain. You can usually take them off at home.

Don’t just say you should avoid seafood and beer when you hear about arthritis. That’s something only patients with gouty arthritis need to pay attention to. If you have ordinary degenerative osteoarthritis, you don’t need to avoid food at all. Instead, you should eat more high-quality protein, drink 300ml of pure milk every day, and stay in the sun for 15 minutes to replenish vitamin D. It is much more effective than taking a lot of health supplements. When it comes to health care products, we have to mention glucosamine chondroitin. This product is really controversial. The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons’ guidelines clearly state that it is not recommended for regular use and is almost as effective as a placebo. However, European rheumatology guidelines also believe that patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis can relieve pain after taking it. My suggestion is that if you have taken it and feel that the pain is indeed relieved after taking it, then continue taking it. If you don’t feel anything after taking it for two or three months, don’t waste money. To put it bluntly, it is an auxiliary function and cannot replace exercise and routine treatment.

Two months ago, a 28-year-old rheumatoid arthritis patient came to me. He works in Internet operations and likes to do weightlifting. He asked me if he would never be able to go to the gym again? It doesn’t matter. As long as you avoid deadlifts and squats with heavy loads, and practice seated leg extensions, elliptical machines, and even swimming, it’s absolutely fine. Spend an extra five minutes stretching and moving your joints before exercise. Don’t do it immediately. If you feel pain in your joints during exercise, just stop immediately. Don’t believe the fallacy that “pain is dehydration”. Pain is your body’s warning. Carrying it hard will only wear out more cartilage.

In fact, arthritis care is complicated and simple, but the most important thing is not to follow the folk remedies on the Internet, and don't copy other people's care plans. Just because others walk 8,000 steps a day is fine, does not mean you won't feel pain if you walk 5,000 steps. Talk to your body more. As long as the frequency of pain can be reduced and it does not affect you to go to work, walk, or travel, it is considered good care. If the pain is really severe, don't bear it, go to the hospital as soon as possible to find a doctor to adjust the plan, which is better than anything else.