Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, feet and wrists.
Some people with rheumatoid arthritis also experience problems in other parts of the body, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels, or more general symptoms such as tiredness and weight loss.
An autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues. And the severe rheumatoid arthritis can still cause physical disabilities.
Symptoms.
Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms may vary in severity and may even come and go. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to deform and shift out of place.
The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain, swelling, stiffness, warmth and redness.
As well as problems affecting the joints, some people with rheumatoid arthritis have more general symptoms, such as tiredness and a lack of energy, a high temperature, sweating, a poor appetite and weight loss.
The inflammation that's part of rheumatoid arthritis can also sometimes cause problems in other areas of the body, such as, dry eyes – if the eyes are affected and chest pain – if the heart or lungs are affected.
Causes.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue in your joints.
However, it's not yet known what triggers this.
Risk factors.
️ There are several things that may increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, including:
️ genes,
️ age,
️ sex,
️ hormones,
️ smoking and
️ excess weight.
Complications.
️Rheumatoid arthritis can put you at a higher risk of developing other conditions, particularly if it's not well controlled. Such as, Osteoporosis, rheumatoid nodules, dry eyes and mouth, infections, abnormal body composition, carpal tunnel syndrome, heart problems, lung disease and lymphoma.
️ Osteoporosis. Rheumatoid arthritis itself, along with some medications used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, can increase your risk of osteoporosis — a condition that weakens your bones and makes them more prone to fracture.
️ Rheumatoid nodules. These firm bumps of tissue most commonly form around pressure points, such as the elbows. However, these nodules can form anywhere in the body, including the heart and lungs.
️ Dry eyes and mouth. People who have rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to develop Sjogren's syndrome, a disorder that decreases the amount of moisture in the eyes and mouth.
️ Infections. Rheumatoid arthritis itself and many of the medications used to combat it can impair the immune system, leading to increased infections. Protect yourself with vaccinations to prevent diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, shingles and COVID-19.
️ Abnormal body composition. The proportion of fat to lean mass is often higher in people who have rheumatoid arthritis, even in those who have a normal body mass index (BMI).
Carpal tunnel syndrome. ️ If rheumatoid arthritis affects your wrists, the inflammation can compress the nerve that serves most of your hand and fingers.
Heart problems. Rheumatoid arthritis can increase your risk of hardened and blocked arteries, as well as inflammation of the sac that encloses your heart.
Lung disease. People with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of inflammation and scarring of the lung tissues, which can lead to progressive shortness of breath.
Lymphoma. Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of lymphoma, a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymph system.
Physiotherapy Management.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disorder that has no cure. All the currently available treatments are geared towards improving the symptoms and offering a better quality of life.
The therapy goals in most cases are:
️ Improvement in disease management knowledge.
️ Pain control.
️ Improvement in activities of daily living.
️ Improvement in Joint stiffness (~ Range of motion).
️ Prevent or control joint damage.
️ Improve strength.
️ Improve the quality of life.
️ Improve aerobic condition.
️ Improve stability and coordination.
References
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/#:~:text=Rheumatoid%20arthritis%20is%20a%20long,as%20flare%2Dups%20or%20flares
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353648
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Rheumatoid_Arthritis
Lakshi Jayawickrama
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