The Expert Patient's Guide to Living a Full Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Expert Patients Guide)

Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 27, 2007). Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Foreword......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 1 What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?......Page 16 The function of the joint......Page 17 How rheumatoid arthritis affects the joint......Page 18 The importance of an early diagnosis......Page 19 The unpredictability of rheumatoid arthritis......Page 21 A personal scenario......Page 23 Coping with pain......Page 27 Understanding pain......Page 29 The pain gate......Page 30 Massage......Page 31 Acupuncture......Page 32 Distraction......Page 33 Nutrition......Page 34 Posture......Page 37 The pain diary......Page 38 Medication......Page 39 Surgery......Page 40 A personal scenario......Page 41 3 Understanding Medication......Page 43 Medication for rheumatoid arthritis......Page 44 New treatments......Page 49 Complementary therapies......Page 50 A personal scenario......Page 54 4 How to Protect Your Joints and Reduce Pain......Page 56 Conserving your energy......Page 57 Avoiding static positions......Page 59 Discouraging deformities......Page 60 A personal scenario......Page 66 5 Equipment and Adaptations......Page 70 Equipment for the kitchen......Page 71 Equipment and tips for personal care......Page 74 Clothing......Page 76 Selecting furniture......Page 78 Adaptations......Page 80 6 The Importance of Exercise and Good Posture......Page 83 Planning your exercise......Page 84 Exercise at the table......Page 85 Useful yoga exercises......Page 87 Exercises for the chair......Page 91 Exercises at the kitchen sink......Page 92 Hydrotherapy and swimming......Page 93 The benefits of exercise......Page 95 A personal scenario......Page 96 Good posture......Page 97 Guidelines for good posture......Page 99 7 How to Relax and Manage Your Stress......Page 104 Symptoms of stress......Page 105 A definition of stress......Page 106 Why stress occurs......Page 107 Restoring the balance......Page 108 Learning to relax......Page 111 The postures of stress......Page 112 Getting started......Page 113 A personal scenario......Page 119 The benefits of employment......Page 120 Factors that help you stay in employment......Page 121 Changing work......Page 124 Disability benefits......Page 125 A personal scenario......Page 127 Avoiding the downward spiral......Page 129 9 Rheumatoid Arthritis and Relationships......Page 132 Asking for help......Page 133 Making changes......Page 134 Rheumatoid arthritis and sex......Page 135 A personal scenario......Page 137 Dealing with the diagnosis......Page 139 How we deal with loss......Page 140 Becoming an expert patient......Page 143 The benefits of active coping......Page 144 Helpful support......Page 145 A personal scenario......Page 148 Helping yourself......Page 149 Appendix: The Work of the Occupational Therapist......Page 151 A-Z Guide to Wellbeing......Page 156 Useful Resources......Page 163 References......Page 167 H......Page 172 Y......Page 173 How to manage your Rheumatoid Arthritis by becoming an expert patient. This book will enable you to: Understand more about Rheumatoid Arthritis and the medication involved; Reduce the pain that you experience; Use joint protection techniques; Appreciate the importance of exercise and good posture; Relax and manage your stress; Adapt to the changes in your working and leisure life; Achieve a positive outlook There's also an A-Z of well being and a list of useful resources