1.Why should I do functional exercise?
A: Functional exercise has an important role in restoring joint function and preventing muscle atrophy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This can not be replaced by drug therapy. Many rheumatoid arthritis patients, although after regular drug treatment, joint swelling and pain significantly relieved or even disappeared, but because of the lack of attention to functional exercise, resulting in the loss of normal joint function and muscle atrophy. The lesson is profound. Therefore, functional exercise is very important in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, should be selected as early as possible according to the condition of the appropriate functional exercise mode.
2.Why should joint exercises be carried out as early as possible?
A: Early functional exercise of the joints can promote the absorption of inflammation. At the same time, the damaged tissues are continuously regenerated and repaired, and this repair is carried out according to the joint activity state. Therefore, early functional exercise of the joint is beneficial to the functional recovery of the joint, and the prognosis is usually better.
3.When is the most appropriate time to start joint exercises?
A: Joint exercise for rheumatoid arthritis is a form of self-therapy using physical exercise to treat the disease. Its purpose is to maintain or improve the function and range of motion of diseased joints, prevent muscle atrophy, and enhance physical strength. When the patient’s blood sedimentation is below 50 mm/h; body temperature is within the normal range; acute active joint inflammation subsides, any patient who fully possesses these 3 items should perform appropriate functional exercises regardless of the degree of joint pain. Help the patient to do moderate limb exercises in bed, which can be done passively first, that is, with the assistance of the affected side on the healthy side or with the help of others. Instruct patients: not to be passive if they can move actively, and to move more if they can move more.
4.Which aspects of joint exercises are included?
A: According to the situation of the joint, passive movement, active movement, passive movement and active movement combined with the relaxation movement and stretching movement of the joint can be carried out.
(1) Passive exercise: the joint can not move by itself, need to completely rely on others or the other side of the limb to help complete the movement, this exercise is mainly used for the joint with the tendency to contracture.
(2) Active exercise: the patient relies on his own joint muscle strength to complete the exercise, when the joint inflammation is basically controlled, active exercise can be carried out. Be careful not to cause pain when exercising. General activities of daily living can be the most common form of exercise.
(3) Power exercise: between the above two.
5.Should I still exercise when the joint redness and pain are serious?
A: During the period of obvious joint redness, swelling and pain, functional exercise of the joints should not be carried out, not only that, but also to limit the activities of the joints, especially weight-bearing activities, in order to reduce the inflammatory response and relieve pain.
6, rheumatoid arthritis patients in the activity how to grasp the size of the activity?
A: When do rheumatoid arthritis patients start functional exercise? What is the appropriate amount of activity? The following principles should be followed.
(1) As far as possible in the early stages of the disease, that is, as early as possible when the pain can be tolerated.
(2) Passive exercise can be started before active exercise, at least two times a day for 30 minutes each time.
(3) Do not start with strenuous exercise, but gradually increase the amount of activity.
(4) The amount of activity should be the next day feel mild fatigue, but not exhaustion is appropriate.
(5) It is best to start exercise under the premise of local insulation, exercise before the first hot compress or warm water bath to promote blood circulation to reduce pain.
(6) step by step, persistent.
7.What should I pay attention to when I exercise?
A: Functional joint exercise is a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and has a very important role in its prognosis. Through joint exercises, muscle strength can be increased, preserving the mobility of joints, preventing joint contracture, ankylosis and muscle atrophy. Therefore, it should be performed early and regularly as long as the patient can tolerate it. The following should be noted during exercise.
(1) When exercising the joints, the amount of activity should be appropriate, from less to more, gradually increase, and stop when appropriate. Do not be too hasty, its effectiveness can only be seen after a certain period of time.
(2) Try not to increase the amount of painkillers before the activity, so as not to damage the joints too much.
(3) exercise, should minimize the pressure on the weight-bearing joints (such as the hip, knee, ankle and spine) activities, such as jumping rope, weight lifting, etc.
(4) the morning air is fresh and energetic, the whole body muscles and organs have been fully rested, the exercise effect is better at this time.
8, rheumatoid arthritis patients in the functional exercise how to choose the exercise program?
A: rheumatoid arthritis patients in the selection of exercise programs should not be too much, generally choose only 1 to 2 targeted exercise, and must be persistent. The amount of activity has less to more, gradually. Minimize activities that put pressure on weight-bearing joints (such as the hip, knee, ankle and spine), such as jumping rope, weight lifting, etc. Functional exercise location, should choose a place with less air pollution and more green plants, such as the park boulevard, lawn, etc.
9.Why should rheumatoid arthritis patients strengthen the exercise of the lower limb muscles?
A: The muscle strength of rheumatoid arthritis patients is about 60% of normal people of the same age. Due to atrophy and weakness, muscle strength is reduced, the buffering effect on the joint is weakened, so the joint is often in an unstable state, which increasingly aggravates the damage and destruction of the joint. Hip, knee and other lower limb weight-bearing joints are particularly obvious. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen the lower limb muscle exercise.
10.How can patients with rheumatoid arthritis exercise the muscles of the lower limbs?
A: We can improve muscle contraction by keeping the joints in a certain position and not moving. Methods are as follows.
(1) lower limb leg lift training: lying down, one lower limb straight up 10 degrees, 5 seconds after rest, 10 to 20 times after the left and right to do in turn, several times a day.
(2) Positioning training: without moving the lower limb, forcefully contract the muscles above the knee, insist on 5 seconds and then rest, 10 to 20 times in a row, several times a day.
11, rheumatoid arthritis patients how to exercise the upper limbs?
A: Rheumatoid arthritis often involves the wrist, elbow and other upper limb joints, in order to maintain the normal function of the shoulder and elbow joints, patients can perform the following functional exercise exercises, a total of 3 sessions, 20-30 minutes each time, once a day in the morning and afternoon.
(1) Forward extension and backward flexion: Take a semi-squatting position, make a fist with both hands and place it between the waist, straighten the upper limb forward and retract it with force. Left and right alternately, repeated several times.
(2) Internal and external rotation: In a semi-squatting position, clench your fists with both hands, flex your elbows, rotate your forearms back and forth in a semicircle for internal and external rotation of the shoulder joint, alternating between the two arms, and repeat several times.
(3) Elbow flexion and extension: sitting position, the affected limb on the pillow of the table, hand clenched fist, forcefully flexing and extending the elbow, repeatedly.
12.What should patients with rheumatoid arthritis do when their hands are painful and swollen?
A: Hand joint involvement is seen in almost all patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Proximal interphalangeal joints, metacarpophalangeal joints and wrist joints are most commonly involved, and are often the first joints to show symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. To maintain their normal function, we can perform functional hand exercise exercises, a total of 4 sessions, a total of 10-20 minutes, once a day in the morning and afternoon, preferably before waking up after sleep.
(1) Massage: Massage the diseased hand joints and surrounding tissues for 1-3 minutes per joint.
(2) Hand clenching and stretching exercise: clench your fist with maximum strength until it is no longer tight, and then stretch it out as far as possible for 5 minutes.
(3) Hand joint movement: ensure that each joint moves according to its physiological functional state, mainly the proximal interphalangeal joint, and do it for 5 minutes.
(4) Wrist joint mobility training: slow rotation of the wrist joint in both positive and negative directions for 5 turns each.
13.How should rheumatoid arthritis patients protect the function of each joint during daily activities?
A: Rheumatoid arthritis is often common with symmetrical small joint involvement, how should we use small joints in daily activities to ensure that they are fully active, but also to protect them from injury, there can be the following methods.
(1) The larger and stronger joints should be used as much as possible, avoiding the overly strong use of small joints.
(2) When lifting heavy objects, try not to use the fingers but the arm and elbow joints.
(3) Practice unscrewing the cap of a bottle with your left hand and unscrewing the cap with your right hand to prevent the ruler from deviating, or use your palm with pressure to screw. Not only use fingers for support, should be supported by the palm of the hand.
(4) Do not stand for a long time, about half an hour to exchange sitting down to rest, combining work and rest. When sitting, you should often change your sitting position, change the position of your feet, stretch the muscles and bones of the lower limbs, or get up and walk around. Knees should not be overly flexed, and feet should be flat on the ground.
(5) Avoid prolonged finger flexion, such as writing, knitting, typing, repairing, and should stop from time to time to rest and stretch the fingers. If you feel pain in the joints during the activity, you should stop the activity immediately and check whether the activity method is improper.
(6) Use tools as much as possible to reduce bending, climbing, squatting and other movements.