Flares rest and mitigation ideas
Good day all. New poster.
I am a 45 year old male airline pilot diagnosed 2 years ago with RA. My symptoms include the regular .pain and fatigue associated.
I am fairly active when feeling well. When flare ups occur I find Netflix and bed my go to. My question is am I making things worse by not moving. Does anyone have any ideas or experience with the benefits of "forced" activity? The last thing I want to do is go for a run with the dog or kiteboard when I feel like I have been run over. I tend to call in sick on the bad days. As you can imagine working on a bad day is not something I am personally or professionally comfortable with.
I guess I am asking if anyone has had any luck affecting the length or intensity of flares.
Great site I am glad I found it.
Thanks
Hello Chrish,
I am recently diagnosed and wondering the same thing. I am a personal trainer and group exercise instructor and have been pushing myself through "forced" activity as it is my job. I'm currently in a flare up and want to know if it is a good idea to push through.
Thank you very much for posting your question. I'm looking forward to responses/advice from the veterans on this site.
Thanks for writing Chrish. First, let me start by saying that everyone's RA is different and thus how much activity a person can handle on a bad day is individual. A lot people like to take it easy on flare days to give the body and head a chance to recover. This article compiles thoughts from the community on taking care of oneself during a flare: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/loving-yourself-during-a-flare/.
You mention not feeling comfortable professionally pushing yourself to work on bad days. There is plenty of evidence that RA can effect mental functioning. This article from one of our contributor takes a look at this issue, including the science: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/just-head-impact-ra-mental-functioning/.
Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts and experiences. Know you are always welcome here for information and support. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
I think the truth is that everyone is different. I pay for it if I push through and do stuff. Rest gets me through it quicker, so I have decided not to feel guilty for those days I spend with my feet up in front of the tv. I ran errands today and am exhausted. My feet and ankles are swollen. My back is stiff and my hips hurt. I took my Aleve sooner than normal. Tomorrow, I will be doing nothing but watching Christmas movies from the DVR and ordering presents from Amazon. I have a friend that says she feels worse if she stops. She has seen me dragging trying to keep up with her. I have seen her in pain when she spent a week at home recovering from minor surgery.
Do what works for you. You have a painful, chronic illness. Don't stop living, but don't let people who know nothing or very little about it make you feel guilty for your choices.
Thanks for the very sound advice ktinflorida. What works for you is a good code to live by - live being the operative word. One of our contributors did a ten part series on things she would tell her newly diagnosed self (I recommend the entire series). Number seven is "Enjoy Your Life:" https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/no-7-enjoy-your-life/. Thanks for being part of the community. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
