Yes,
I make mistakes. This was a big mistake. I decided that with my rheumatoid arthritis and the pains associated with the disease, i deserved to do nothing. Big, big mistake. I remember what my G.P. kept saying to me, "Larry, I know it's painful, but keep walking." Such a smart doctor and so deeply caring about my well being. He took a fellowship in Chicago and now i have young Dr. Clay. Dr. Clay allows me to prescribe my own drugs (another mistake for another time).
Anyway, i slowly started doing less and less until i was pretty much lying in bed with my usual daily t-v line-up. Television and opiods, and everything was just honkey dorie. Honkey dorie, yes. Beneficial to my well being, no. I lost all muscle tone. My joints hurt more than usual when i tried to use them. So much pain i associated to RA when much of it was sore and painful muscles that were not used to being used.
By the time i realized what i had done to my body, it was downright painful to try to do anything that took energy and muscle. It's crazy that i had to start out with a 10 pound set of weights and found that i painfully had to use both hands to work out with one ten pound weight. My joints and muscles burned with pain. My wrists would actually snap and pop as they were breaking apart the fusions.
Doctors and scientists have found that the body will produce the juices needed to keep the joints working smoothly if the joints are actually used. If we do not use the joints the body doesn't produce the needed juices.
In a nutshell, kinda/sorta, do not get lazy. Keep doing more and more. Unless you have such deterioration of a joint that actually keeps you from using it, then use your joints constantly. You will find that the pain will lessen after time and you will be more mobile and mobile is very important to life quality. The lazier we get, the more we are damaging our well being and our good quality of life.
Below are postings from medicalnewstoday that some will probably find interesting and even helpful and probably blah-blah boring to others. We are all just a potpourie.
LEV
Main Category: Arthritis News Main Category: Seniors / Aging News Main Category: Arthritis News All I can say is "Wow, what a post." I guess I didn't realize how important exercising was. I do now. I'm really sorry that happened to you, LEV. I do want to comment, though, about #6 in the list of things to relieve joint stress: 6. Use your strongest joints and muscles to reduce the stress on your smaller joints. For example, carry a purse, handbag, or briefcase by its shoulder strap rather than by its handle. I went with my husband once to his chiropractic visit. When he was finished, I walked up to the front as his chiropractor was bringing him out. The chiropractor looked at me and said, "If you were MY patient, the first thing I'd tell you to do is to get rid of that purse." I was like, huh? My natural instinct was to raise that shoulder higher to keep the purse strap on my shoulder. He was right. I was doing that. So, ladies, if you use a shoulder strap, be careful or you could throw your back out of alignment. Well, I still haven't figured out why most women insist on carrying a small overnight bag with them everywhere they go (purse). Seriously, all you need is license, credit/debit card, cash, AAA card and a few other things, certainly much less than ten pounds worth of joint ache. Even my wallet hurts my butt when i sit on it for any lenght of time. LEV Hi, LEV, good post and exactly what we all need to get motivated!, get going on this 'journey', I'm glad you reminded us. It is such a struggle when we are stiff, swollen and hurting, to keep up the 'fight'. Did you notice the new post 'Augie', another male on the board. Lynda Well, I still haven't figured out why most women insist on carrying a small overnight bag with them everywhere they go (purse). Seriously, all you need is license, credit/debit card, cash, AAA card and a few other things, certainly much less than ten pounds worth of joint ache. Even my wallet hurts my butt when i sit on it for any lenght of time. LEV Fab post LevLarry! Pip Lev.. nice to hear a story about yourself. Sorry about what happened to you.
That is why I go to Freak-Mart every chance I get. Otherwise I would lay in the bed most of my day. But ya know it is hard to lay in the bed all day with a 3 year old. He has me up and around when I do not feel like it or wanna be. I have little muscle mass in my thighs, they have been like that since I was a kid. I was very active when I was a kid... rode a bike, climbed trees, played baseball, swam. But my thights would never get toned. Always flabby. I think it is from when my knees were effected so bad by JRA when I was smaller that it messed up my legs to where they do not get tone. My calves get muscular, but thighs no. Contents of my "purse" Phone - when I have found it And when son is outta diapers, I will go back to my no purse or diaper bag carrying self. I hated when I had to lug around a backpack for school.
Dude! For the feminie Hygine products just get hubby to carry them around in his pockets for ya. That is what I get my hubby to do, becuase I leave the diaper bag in the car all the time.
Larry, Excellent post and a great reminder to us all. I need to get moving much more than I do, but I'm on the move quite a bit. Glad you are doing better Phats [quote=jasminerain] Dude! For the feminie Hygine products just get hubby to carry them around in his pockets for ya. That is what I get my hubby to do, becuase I leave the diaper bag in the car all the time.
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Lev…great post and glad that you are doing much better now. It really is important to keep those joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons moving around. Even tho I can not do much right now, there are a few simple PT exercises I do to keep everything moving. When I was hospitalized this last time, they had a therapist come in and show me some simple things I could do even with my current physical condition. Let me tell, they have been a lifesaver. I have always had strong athletic legs and I am afraid of losing the tone of my legs. Simple leg lifts keep me toned. I do wrist and hand exercises too. I do not carry a purse with me. I just shove my license into the pocket of the jeans or sweats I am wearing lol. I don’t have to worry about the feminine hygiene thing since I had a hysterectomy five years ago lol. Lev, good post and so important. In fact it could be the most important thing we do or don't do - exercise. Now you all know why I keep on the move and do as much as I'm able to do. At my last RD appt. I complained of the tendons in my new knee being very painful from overuse and that my back was hurting. Too much golf and walking. My RD told me not to stop what I'm doing, that exercising is my job and his job is to try and find a combination of meds that will work for me and that together we'll keep me active and in good shape. His parting words to me were keep golfing and doing pool exercises. He told me that if I stop for any length of time then RA will take over and I won't get back up. I believe him and he's been a great motivator to keep me moving. If I have to use pain pills to keep moving I take them. I know that I have to keep my joints moving with gentle exercise. What's in my purse: wallet, cell phone, journal and calendar, pen, few items of makeup, pill bottle, keys. I just recently started taking a Karate class and I was worried that I would make myself swell and hurt but the opposite is true. I have felt pretty good the past few weeks. I have done things I thought I would never be able to do again. I am excited at the prospect of getting in shape. I take less pain meds now that I was taking 4 months ago. Getting moving to any degree is a really great thing not just for the body, but the mind and spirit as well. I am a purse person. I love getting new ones and always carry one with me. My newest one is a navy and brown Kathy Van Zeeland and it is a nice big one. I have my phone, wallet, planner, eyeliner and lipstick, lip gloss, peppermints, gum, emergency tampon, pens, book (Timeline by Micheal Crichton), checkbook, hair bands, emergency medicine, WW points calculator and keys, and on occaision my digital camera/case and a bottled drink. I guess some of us are just higher maintenance than others (Liz!) and wouldnt be able to manage without our "survival kits"I read somewhere that when you carry a shoulder bag, put the strap over your head onto the other shoulder so that the weight is evenly distributed across your body. It works great! Another idea would be to use one of those fanny paks if your hands and shoulders are really bad. Personally, I like to use a small backpack type bag with straps over both shoulders....mines macho enough my husband doesnt even mind carrying it for me when he is with me and I am hurting.
Great reminder of how much we really do need to get moving! I've been trying to get myself back in shape. On the days I'm hurting a little more than the norm, it is very hard for me to get up and do something. This will remind me that is exactly what I need to do. Amazing what we women feel we need to carry with us when we are away from home lol. I hardly ever carry a purse with me. When I do need to carry one, I have a backpack type purse. I need to have something like that since I walk with a cane and carrying a regular purse either throws me off balance or I don’t have a free hand. I love purses too, and have to be careful with what I buy. Since I ride the bus, for a long time I was carrying a big tote with a book, a scarf, water and everything else. But it was really hurting so I recently switched to a small messanger type bag and rotate it with another small purse. It helps me to keep from throwing everything I can in there. I can't wear a pack as I have 2 herniated discs in my neck and it really pulls it. Exercising really helps a lot. I do about an hour a day of yoga and walk for about an hour a day. It's one of the few things I do that really makes me feel better...other than injecting Humira! Tara: I also live in the SF area...down south in Sunnyvale. I'm playing a concert with a small orchestra in SF this Sunday afternoon. Here's the notice...stop by and say Hi! Russian Concert Sun. Nov. 4, Noe Valley Plucked String Orchestra. Noe Valley Plucked String Orchestra invites you to a concert of Russian Music at San Francisco’s Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street, Sunday November 4, from 4 to 6 pm. Admission is (adults)/ (students and seniors). Complimentary refreshments will be served during intermission. Alan Hi Alan-I just saw this. That's really cool you like here too! I think I know where the location your playing is. Just a few blocks away from the church I used to go to, so hopefully I can stop by. Have fun
Article Date: 20 Apr 2007 - 12:00 PDT
Healthcare Professional:
"University of Queensland" researchers have shown for the first time older women who exercise are more likely to not get stiff or painful joints.
The landmark study, published in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, shows women in their 70s could avoid the pain of arthritis by keeping active.
Dr Kristi Heesch, Dr Yvette Miller and Professor Wendy Brown from UQ's "School of Human Movement Studies" , have used data collected over three years as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, targeting middle-aged and older women who had no symptoms of arthritis.
"What we found is if women in their 70s can do as little as 75 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, they will lessen their chances of developing frequent arthritis symptoms for three years," Dr Heesch said.
"The results also suggest that engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week may be even more protective.
"Our results are the first to show a dose - response relationship between physical activity and arthritis symptoms in older women."
Dr Heesch said arthritis was a debilitating health problem, which is more likely to strike as people got older and affects more women than men.
"Arthritis is almost as common as cardiovascular disease in Australia, affecting 17 percent of the population," she said.
"If preventive intervention strategies, such as increasing physical activity participation by even small amounts, could delay the onset and development of symptoms of arthritis, there could be considerable cost savings to the healthcare system and to older women themselves, not to mention reductions in pain and suffering caused by this often debilitating health problem.
She said the study also looked at middle-aged women but there seemed to be no similar advantage in women of that age.
"We were surprised to find such a difference between middle-aged and older women," she said.
"One explanation is that occupational physical activity was not included in our assessment of physical activity and that many women in the mid-age cohort of the study were in paid work, whereas the older women were not."
Dr Heesch said her team is doing further research into the link between physical activity and self-reported diagnosis or treatment for arthritis. Want To Age Without Aching?
Article Date: 05 Mar 2007 - 0:00 PDT
Healthcare Professional:
Aging is inevitable, but the pain that most people associate with getting older is not. You can't totally eliminate pain, but it isn't too late to take some preemptive measures and live the rest of your life relatively pain-free, according to an article in the March issue of UCLA Medical Center's Healthy Years.
"Your approach to making changes should be gradual," says Ziya Altug, MS, PT, a UCLA physical therapist and author of The Anti-Aging Fitness Prescription. "A lifetime of habits isn't going to be erased in one day." Here is a four-step plan to age without aches.
Less Weight/Less Pain. When older adults complain about pain, their discomfort generally starts with weight-bearing joints, particularly the knees. The knees are placed under tremendous stress with every step, but you can reduce that load one pound at a time. Researchers reporting in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism found that for every pound of weight lost there is a four-pound reduction in the load placed on the knee joint with each step. The accumulated reduction in knee load for a one-pound loss in weight would be more than 4,800 pounds per mile walked. Lose 10 pounds and your knees would be subjected to 48,000 less pounds of pressure per mile. Less pressure, less knee pain.
There are three ways to lose weight. One is to eat less; the second is to exercise more; the third is to do both. The "One-Pound-a-Week" strategy and the "Perfect Triangle Exercise Prescription" can help you achieve your goal.
One Pound a Week. If you are overweight or obese, you might be overwhelmed by the big picture demands of weight loss. Here's an idea: don't look at the big picture. Follow Altug's suggestion and take a gradual approach to weight loss. One pound of weight equals approximately 3,500 calories. Take in 3,500 calories more than you expend over a period of time and you will gain a pound. Consume 3,500 fewer calories than you burn to lose that pound.
Break that 3,500 number into smaller pieces. If you can reduce your calorie intake by 250 calories a day, and, at the same time, expend 250 more calories than usual, the net result is 500 calories a day. Multiply that 500 by seven days and you'll reach the net 3,500-calorie reduction/burn goal for losing one pound of weight.
The Perfect Triangle. You may be able to compensate for some joint damage and pain through Altug's "Perfect Triangle" prescription. "We recommend a three-sided approach to your anti-pain prescription," he says. "By including strength, aerobic, and stretching activities in as little as 30 minutes a day, you can be on your way. Preserve your muscle mass by challenging them against a resistance determined by your fitness level. Use your own body weight (modified pushups), an elastic band, dumbbells, or machines three times a week to reach your goals."
Walking, biking, swimming, dancing, and low impact sports can benefit your heart, lungs, and muscles. Stronger muscles support weakened joints and can reduce or eliminate the pain.
Stretching exercises (arm raises, side bends, wall squats, calf raises, sitting knees-to-chest, and those included in Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi) will improve your flexibility and range of motion, both of which may lessen pain.
Chondroitin and Glucosamine. Chondroitin and glucosamine, found naturally in and around cartilage cells, may be helpful in people with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis. Taking 1,500 mg daily of glucosamine and 1,200 mg of chondroitin was proven effective in a government-sponsored study published in 2006. The supplements don't work for everyone, and it will take at least a month for you to determine if they are going to be effective.
These anti-pain approaches, in addition to over-the-counter medications like aspirin and ibuprofen, are proven and inexpensive. More aggressive strategies prescription drugs and surgery, for example should not be used until your doctor has determined that you need something more than weight loss, exercise, or supplements. There is no reason to accept the pain associated with aging. You can be relatively pain-free if you aggressively implement a pain prevention and control program.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Lose one pound a week by taking in 250 calories less and expending an extra 250 calories per day.
Include strength, aerobic, and stretching activities in your exercise program.
Ask your doctor if it's okay to try glucosamine/chondroitin supplements.
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http://www.belvoir.com Nine Ways To Relieve Joint Stress
Article Date: 10 Jan 2007 - 0:00 PDT
Healthcare Professional:
It happens to all of us: joint pain from a lifetime of lifting, bending and normal wear and tear. Beyond medication, there are steps you can take to relieve stress while going about your daily activities. Here's what you can do, from a world leader in arthritis care.
If you've lived long enough, inflammation in the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist can cause pain, swelling and limited motion. If you have joint pain or suffer from arthritis, no doubt you've already been prescribed medication by your doctor to reduce these symptoms. But there's a lot you can do yourself apart from taking your medication to lessen joint pain. Following are some time-proven steps from a newsletter called Arthritis Advisor, brought to you by Cleveland Clinic. (For more information, click on http://www.arthritis-advisor.com)
1.Control your weight. Obesity puts extra stress on weight-bearing joints, such as the back, hips, knees and feet.
2. Be aware of body position, using good posture to protect your back and the joints of your legs and feet. Whenever possible, sit down to perform a job instead of standing. Change position often, since staying in one position for an extended period tends to increase stiffness and pain.
3. Conserve energy by allowing for rest periods during the workday and while performing any activity.
4. Respect pain. It's your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Don't involve yourself in an activity that puts strain on joints that are already painful or stiff.
5. Use care when getting in and out of a car, chair, or tub, as well as for climbing, lifting, carrying, pulling, or pushing objects. Think before you strain. Tip: Try to always sit in the highest chair in the room, and look for chairs with armrests to make it easier to get up.
6. Use your strongest joints and muscles to reduce the stress on your smaller joints. For example, carry a purse, handbag, or briefcase by its shoulder strap rather than by its handle.
7. Distribute pressure to minimize stress on any single joint. Lift dishes with both of your palms rather than with your fingers, and carry heavy loads in your arms instead of with your hands.
8. Avoid tight gripping, pinching, squeezing and twisting if your hands are affected by arthritis. Ways to accomplish the same tasks with alternate methods or tools can usually be found.
9. Investigate assistive devices. Many of these self-help products bath stools, grippers, reachers, grab bars have been developed to make every-day activities easier and less stressful on your joints and muscles. Your doctor or physical therapist can suggest devices that will be helpful for tasks you may find difficult at home or at work.
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The contents of my purse:
- Phone
- Makeup (just a couple of items)
- Feminine hygeine products
- Kleenex (more sanitary than wiping my nose with my sleeve; useful when public restrooms are out of toilet paper)
- Pill case (a couple of tylenol, sudafed, antacids)
- PocketPC
- Extended battery to charge phone, pocketPC
- Zone bar/small bag of peanuts or other small snack
- Couple of pens
- 3x5 cards for notes
Diapers - Yes, still not potty trained completely... not me ... SON!
Wipes
Extra set of clothes - for when son decides to play in his cup of ice while we are going down the road.
Wallet - when I remember to put it in the bag
Yeah.... I "carry" a diaper bag. It is actually an Eeyore Messenger bag I made the diaper bag.
I do not carry it, I make daughter carry it and if she will not carry it I leave it in the carry. The last month or so, I have not carried it. I have carried it from the house to the car and that was about it.
The contents of my purse:
- Phone
- Makeup (just a couple of items)
- Feminine hygeine products
- Kleenex (more sanitary than wiping my nose with my sleeve; useful when public restrooms are out of toilet paper)
- Pill case (a couple of tylenol, sudafed, antacids)
- PocketPC
- Extended battery to charge phone, pocketPC
- Zone bar/small bag of peanuts or other small snack
- Couple of pens
- 3x5 cards for notes
[/QUOTE]
As for my purse (usually refered to as my suitcase).... I often joke that I can live for 2 weeks out of it if necessary.
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