Alternative Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Paper

Alternative Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis - Research Paper Example The classic symptoms of RA are swelling, stiffness and pain in the joints. [1] Characteristics RA is characterized by inflammation of the synovium, progressive bone erosion, joint malignant, and destruction of surrounding tissues and muscles. Quality of life Some factors that effect the RA patient’s quality of life are endemic to the disease. This helps to rule out the possibility of other disease. Patients rarely have RA as their only medical problem. It is estimated that seventy percent of the RA patients who are on DMARDS (disease-modifying ant rheumatic drugs) have at least one other disease. The combination of the RA and another co-existing disease ultimately leads to a higher rate of mortality as compared to healthy people. In other words, RA patients age faster than healthy people. This may or may not be the result of the initial onset of RA or whether the premature aging precedes the onset of RA. Statistics 2.1 million Americans (0.5% - 1.0%) are affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Women are twice as likely to have the disease as men. The onset of RA occurs between thirty to fifty-five years of age with a median age of fifty-five years. Forty-nine billion dollars is spent annually for direct medical and lost wages and productivity. This amounts to $8500 per RA patient per year as the average cost of pharmaceutical therapy for rheumatoid arthritis which amount to 9 million physicians’ visits and 250,000 hospitalizations per year. [2] Alternative Therapies Yoga Yoga is an alternative therapy that has its roots in ancient India. It was used by the Indian culture as a sort of psycho-spiritual treatment for various diseases. Yoga is considered to have a positive effect on mental and spiritual health. The National Health Interview Survey of 2002 on Yoga use in the United States discovered certain traits endemic to people who where regular practitioners. It found that yoga users were primarily Caucasian (85%) and female (76%) with a mean age of 39. 5 years. [3] In this study, it was found that the practice of yoga has a â€Å"modulating effect on physiological and neurophysiologic symptoms.† [4] Some of the documented effects of yoga practice found in this study were; decrease in resting heart rate, increase in baro- reflex sensitivity in healthy elderly patients in addition to significant blunting of heart rate and blood pressure. Other benefits included decreased symptoms of stress, enhanced quality of life, and normalization of mean daily cortical levels in patients with prostate and breast cancer. Yoga is used to treat depression, improve muscle strength, increase endurance, improvement of balance and flexibility. It has also been shown to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis of the hand, osteoarthritis of the knee, carp tunnel syndrome and localized lower back discomfort. RA patients reporting depression and anxiety disorders saw significant improvement in their mental health. By decreasing disease activity, the RA patient has a decreased perception of pain. It was concluded that a yoga program may slow the progression of the disease, enhance physical function, and decrease the risk of falls. Exercise Exercise can be defined as a planned regime of physical activity with the aim of having the outcome of a positive health benefit. [5] Regular exercise is crucial in the battle against RA. The