What’s it like living with rheumatoid arthritis? The challenges you face

Physical exercise

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, exercise is very important for maintaining joint mobility and muscle tone. Obviously, you’re not asked for intense activity, but rather exercises tailored to your symptoms , without exceeding the limits of the inflammatory process. Gentle exercises, including muscle strengthening or stretching exercises, walking, dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, and, above all, water aerobics, are recommended . The absence of gravity can provide significant benefits for all joints.

Try to carve out a schedule of appointments within your week, if not daily, then at least scheduled with a one- or two-day break. Engaging in small but consistent workouts will definitely make you feel better than intense weekly sessions. Of course, if you’re not used to exercising, it will be hard to find the motivation. How can you overcome this problem? Walk to work every day, wear a pedometer to track your activity, and above all, try to think of exercise as medicine and a way of loving yourself.

What are the effects? In addition to maintaining your range of motion , you should experience a reduction in pain , a recovery in self-esteem, and a boost in self-confidence. There’s nothing more important for your personal dignity than feeling independent. Remember that exercise is like a drug, so you should never overdo it and, in general, choose personalized training programs.

The diet

Diet plays a fundamental role in everyone’s life, especially if you suffer from a chronic disease  like rheumatoid arthritis. The main link between disease and diet is weight : being overweight, or worse, obese, puts joints under greater stress , and pain, swelling, and stiffness are likely to be more severe.

The recommended diet is the Mediterranean one, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and lean protein sources such as fish and poultry. Red meat and packaged and processed foods should be minimized. It’s important to focus on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods, such as turmeric , which is believed to reduce some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, nuts, and beans.

Famous people with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1% of the world’s population, and several famous people have been affected . Actress Eleonora Giorgi began to experience pain in the joints of her hands, near the base of her fingers, at the age of 37. This condition wasn’t a complete surprise to her, as both her grandfather and father suffered from it. Today, the pain, which she’s been living with for nearly 30 years, limits many movements, such as shaking hands vigorously, and has also spread to her feet.

Anna Marchesini was an important example for all sufferers: she suffered from an aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis, which unfortunately caused severe deformities in her hands, but she persisted in her artistic endeavors until the very end and decided to speak publicly about this disease, for which there is no cure and which is still too little known.

Renowned tennis player Caroline Wozniacki , world number three and a true clay-court star, recently turned 29. A year ago, she announced she was suffering from a form of rheumatoid arthritis. The diagnosis came before the 2018 US Open: it was a shock, but she found the will and motivation to fight. For an athlete, the body is a true work tool. Carolina is undergoing treatment, and the results are promising.