Rheumatoid arthritis causes the joints to swell, particularly the wrists, hands, knees, ankles and feet. Inflammation often leads to stiffness and pain. The condition affects most patients for their entire lives, though many people find symptom relief through a combination of medications and rehabilitation exercises.
Types
Rehabilitation exercises for rheumatoid arthritis patients typically involve gentle stretching and range-of-motion exercises performed either at home or under the direction of a physical therapist. Most patients go through at least a short period of physical therapy when they learn exercises to perform at home after therapy. Exercises usually focus on the specific joints affected by the condition, though your doctor or therapist may recommend stretching exercises on other commonly affected joints to help you maintain your flexibility and strength.
Specific Exercises
For patients with rheumatoid arthritis that affects the hands and fingers, simply opening and closing the fingers to make a fist and spread the fingers apart can help relieve stiffness and maintain functionality. Touching each finger to the thumb on the same hand helps stretch the wrists and fingers. Gently flexing the wrists and ankles up and down and forming small circles with the joints can help ease pain and inflammation from fluids building up around the hands and feet. Bending and straightening the knees while lying down or seated in a chair can help keep your knees strong and flexible. Many rheumatoid arthritis patients benefit from regular, low-impact physical activity, such as walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day.
Benefits
Performing gentle range-of-motion and stretching exercises daily forces your joints to move in different positions, which can help relieve inflammation and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to severe joint pain and deformities that require surgery to correct. By following an exercise plan, you may delay or prevent the severe problems that require surgical intervention. In addition to practicing rehab exercises, strive to take short breaks throughout the day -- and avoid staying in the same position for long periods -- to keep your joints mobile.
Considerations
Rehabilitation exercises alone are not usually sufficient to control rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Most patients also take anti-inflammatory medications, disease modifying antirheumatic drugs or corticosteroids regularly to help control joint inflammation. It is important to follow the exercise program outlined by your doctor or physical therapist carefully. If you stop performing the exercises when your symptoms improve, you may delay or negate the benefits from following a regular exercise program. Other patients find wearing splints or special shoe inserts while performing rehab exercises and daily activities help ease their symptoms.
Warning
Do not start performing rehabilitation exercises for rheumatoid arthritis before checking with your doctor or physical therapist. Some exercises may make your condition worse if you do not perform them properly. While home exercises can be effective for some patients, talk to your doctor about a possible referral to a physical therapist if your condition does not improve on a home exercise plan.
