Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto immune disease. An autoimmune disease is when a person's own body's immune system mistakenly identifies its own joints as foreign invaders, and starts attacking the synovium. This causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints especially in small joints like fingers and toes. Another Feature of RA, is that it is symmetrical, that is this affects both the sides unlike osteoarthritis. There is marked morning stiffness and fatigue with stiffness lasting upto an hour or so. Other complications involve development of deformities in the fingers and the other affected joints. The early diagnosis is the best way to approach this condition which can be done though blood tests for rheumatoid factor. The management include medications along with physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is needed to reduce pain, stiffness, prevent deformities , maintain the range of motions, and to improve overall quality of life.
The physiotherapy treatment starts with a assessment of swelling, joint stiffness, joint ranges, strength, and daily function to design a personalized plan. The treatment involves use of heat and cold application to ease stiffness and to reduce swelling, manual mobilization and soft tissue release technique to reduce stiffness, exercises progressing from general range of motion to strengthening, and electrotherapy modalities such as IFT/TENS to reduce pain. The advanced means such as hydrotherapy in warm pools unloads joints while building strength through water resistance is also a good alternative. Hand rehab is most important in RA, where the functionality of the hand is restored gradually through manual therapy and exercises. Balance and Posture are also targeted in RA rehab as it in somewhat compromised in case of involvement of joints such as knees and shoulder.
Home exercise programs with gentle stretches and range of motion exercises are also recommended to manage stiffness and to boost blood circulation. Condition like RA needs consistent management and rehab, improvement can be seen in most of the patients with 3 months of consistency.
At PhysioNautics, we provide comprehensive care for rheumatoid arthritis through individualized treatment plans focused on pain relief, mobility restoration, and functional recovery.
