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My 19 year old son was in a very serious high speed car accident. Among the many injury sustained he has bilateral frac

Thats really a lot of injuries. Usually pubic rami fractures heal by 10 to 12 weeks. Also it is quite painful. The severe pain he has make me due to the cummulati

Patient education for Arthritis

Problems to cope with
The key symptoms of arthritis are pain, fatigue, disability, and depression. Exercise, fatigue management, use of assisting aids, and cognitive coping help to combat these symptoms
Exercise
There exist a strong evidence for the effectiveness of conditioning exercise, both endurance and strengthening, in people with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis. Walking, cycling, water aerobics, strength training, and low-impact exercise programs report decreased pain and improved range of motion, cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance, function, and gait in people with arthritis. 30 to 45 minutes of moderate intensity whole body exercise such as walking, cycling, or swimming on 3 to 5 days is recommended. Gentle exercise performed using some Thai Chi motions can significantly reduce morning stiffness for persons with RA. In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, exercise also appears to improve depression. Although the exact mechanism is not understood, it may be that depression and other negative mood states are mediated by self-efficacy, or the belief (confidence) that one can effect disease symptoms
Attitude
Patients who cope with pain in an overly negative fashion have much more severe pain and disability; and patients who avoid negative feeling and who report use adaptive strategies (e.g., distraction, calming self-statements) to control and decrease pain have much lower levels of pain and disability
Assistive devices
Assistive devices are frequently recommended for people with arthritis to improve their functional capabilities by compensating for limitations in dexterity, joint range of motion, muscle strength, and endurance. The devices most frequently used by patients with RA are wrist splints, followed by silver ring splints, raised toilet seats, bath or shower benches, and dressing sticks

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Posted on: April 14th, 2008 03:10:00 PM

Patient education for Arthritis