Exercise therapy and a set of exercises for rheumatoid arthritis

Despite the development of medical technologies and the emergence of new drugs, gymnastics for arthritis of the fingers remains an important and quite effective method of treating this disease. The goals of gymnastics are to help achieve the main goals of treatment, which are to relieve pain and inflammation in the joints.

For arthritis of small joints, such as the joints of the hand, the exercises are performed repeatedly. You don’t need special conditions to perform them; you can even do them at your desk, so the recommended number of repetitions (6–8 times a day) is quite realistic and affordable. Thanks to such active gymnastics, blood circulation improves. This leads to a decrease in inflammatory activity. The fluid accumulated in the cavities of the joints and periarticular tissues is absorbed. Along with the resorption of the fluid, the swelling subsides, swelling and redness decrease. Exercise increases muscle tone. All these changes help restore and improve the motor capabilities of the joints and restore finger dexterity.

With active exercise, a very significant improvement in general condition is also possible.

Execution rules:

Regularity and consistency of exercises, Performing exercises during remission or in a subacute state, Performing the entire complex with both hands, Free breathing, Slow pace.

Therapeutic exercises for arthritis of the fingers are represented by simple movements that must be performed in such a way as not to cause pain. Arthritis of the thumb joint very often develops. This may be the beginning of a systemic process or an isolated lesion of the joint in only one arm. In any case, the exercises are performed on all fingers and both hands.

Before starting classes, you need to get recommendations from your doctor, he will recommend some specific exercises. As a rule, these exercises are very simple; each of them is performed 6–12 times, depending on the condition of the joints and sensations. At first it may be difficult to perform some movements, but over time the joints develop, the amplitude of movements and their accuracy increase. {banner_st-d-2} Some exercises for arthritis of the fingers

Clenching - unclenching a fist. This is a very simple exercise and is usually recommended to start with. Touching fingers. The tip of the thumb touches all the other fingers in turn. Spreading fingers. Place your hands on the table, spread and connect your fingers. Perform as forcefully as possible. Finger lifting. Hands on the table, raise and lower each finger in turn. Rotate with fingers. This exercise is similar to the previous one, but we not only raise our fingers, but also rotate them either clockwise or counterclockwise. Claws. We bend and straighten the nail and middle phalanges of the fingers.

What does exercise therapy give?

Thanks to therapeutic exercises for rheumatoid arthritis, joint mobility is maintained.
With a decrease in activity, muscle tissue atrophies, blood circulation slows down, and swelling develops. At the same time, body weight increases. This is important because excess weight interferes with movement and causes increased stress on the joints. Thanks to exercises, muscle and connective tissues and tendons are strengthened. As a result, the risk of injury is reduced. At the same time, during exercise, muscles relax, and in case of rheumatoid arthritis, this helps prevent pain and accelerates regeneration processes.

Exercises have a positive effect on metabolic processes and oxygen absorption, and weight loss. But exercise therapy for rheumatism is contraindicated if the disease is in an advanced stage, and also when:

• inflammation was detected in internal organs and the cardiovascular system;
• the acute stage of a chronic disease has arrived;
• infection has occurred;
• there is intoxication of the body;
• infection develops;
• have heart or lung failure;
• suffers from fever;
• the temperature has risen;
• a hernia appeared;
• cancer was diagnosed.

Physical activity for rheumatoid arthritis should be regular and feasible. It is necessary to perform the exercises three times a day: in the morning, at lunch and before bed. In this case, you need to try to evenly distribute the load, working equally with both right and left limbs. You should breathe regularly, deeply, and increase the load gradually, taking into account how you feel.

Treatment by position

This method is classified as exercise therapy and is used for obvious lesions, when the patient is practically unable to move and spends most of the time in bed. In this case, the mattress on which a person lies must be smooth and hard; it is recommended to use a special orthopedic one. The feet must have support, and the position of the body must be changed once an hour. When contracture (immobility) develops, special splints (hard strips of plaster-impregnated bandages) should be applied. You can also use rollers, weights and other devices.

Taking care of your hands

Hand exercises for rheumatoid arthritis of the joints include exercises for the fingers, wrist, shoulders and elbows. Classes begin with developing the wrists, gradually moving up:

1. Extend your arms forward. Turn your open palms in different directions.
2. Clench your fists and repeat the turns.
3. Sit at the table. Place your open palms on it. Now you need to raise your fingers up so that everything that is below the interdigital spaces lies motionless on the table.
4. Press your palms together (as if in prayer) and raise them to face level. Place your elbows on the table. Then you need to slowly spread them apart, while your fingers should still touch each other.
5. Squeeze an expander, a special ball or an anti-stress toy in your palm.

To develop your elbow joints, you need to bend and then raise your arms so that your hands are down and your elbows are at shoulder level. Now you need to bring your shoulder blades together and spread them apart. Then you need to go to the wall, lean your elbows on it and start doing push-ups.

Physical exercises for rheumatoid arthritis to develop the shoulder girdle include classical movements. First you just need to take turns raising and lowering your shoulders. Afterwards, you need to make circular movements back and forth with them. To stretch from behind, behind your back at waist level, you need to clasp your fingers and lift them up, bringing your shoulder blades together.

Contraindications to the use of exercises

There are no special contraindications to performing physical therapy. However, there are some restrictions on the use of gymnastics for hands and fingers for arthritis:

• Why is finger exercises necessary for arthrosis of the hands?

• relapses accompanied by an acute form of inflammation;
• increased body temperature;
• sudden changes in pressure;
• vascular diseases, pathologies of the heart, lungs and kidneys;
• respiratory failure;
• oncological diseases;
• acute infections.

Footwork

Orthopedists have developed a standard set of exercise therapy exercises for the lower extremities for rheumatoid arthritis. There are also proprietary methods. The classic exercises are as follows:

1. Tuck your toes and relax them.
2. Stand up straight and roll from heel to toe and back.
3. Rise on your toes and try to stay in this position for 1–2 minutes.
4. Place small objects on the floor and then try to pick them up. The exercise can be done both sitting and standing.
5. Rotate the foot, raise and lower it. You can also squat.
6. Lie on the floor and do a “bicycle” when your hips are raised up and your feet imitate the pedal stroke.
7. Still lying on the floor, stretch out your arms and legs. Then you need to slowly bring your left heel towards your buttocks, and then raise your leg so that your knee touches your chest. Repeat the movement on the right side.
8. Lying on your back, bend your knees and spread them to the maximum distance.
9. The exercise is similar to the previous one, but is performed with extended legs.

It is very useful to walk barefoot on the ground or grass as often as possible. From time to time it is advisable to make swinging movements: just stand up straight and stretch your legs, and then make wide swings with one limb or the other.

What exercises are useful in water?

The maximum effect from physical education can be achieved by performing exercises in water. However, such training is contraindicated in case of allergic reactions, open wounds, chronic and sexually transmitted diseases.

Experts recommend performing the following actions for these purposes:

1. Walking in place with straight and bent legs.
2. Rotating shoulder movements.
3. Squats.
4. Swimming with fins and circles.
5. Alternately raising the limbs.
6. Turns.

Gymnastics helps not only in the treatment of diseases, but also involves the general improvement of the body.

Exercise therapy for rheumatoid arthritis is an effective therapy that effectively relieves pain and restores joint mobility. However, it should be done correctly, strictly following the recommendations of specialists.

Support on your knees

Exercises for rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint, developed by Dr. S.M., are very effective. Bubnovsky. The main goals of the complex he proposes are to activate blood supply in the knee area, stimulate the production of synovial fluid, and strengthen ligaments and muscles. Also in the process, the spinal column is strengthened, thereby reducing the pressure of body weight on the knees. The complex proposed by the doctor consists of only three exercises:

1. You need to lie on the floor and roll over onto your back. Then, in turn, lift one leg, then the other, bending it at the knee. Fix the limb at the top point for 1 minute. The legs should always be lowered slowly. While one limb is up, the other should lie on the floor. Repeat the movement 10 times. Your arms can be extended along your body or placed on your stomach.
2. The starting position is the same. You need to raise your pelvis with support on your feet and outstretched arms. You should get a “bridge” with your legs bent as much as possible. Next, you need to stand there for at least 1 minute and carefully lower yourself. The exercise is done 15 times.
3. Lie on your back with your arms and legs extended. Then slowly bring one knee, then the other, to your nose. You can help yourself with your hands, pull yourself up with your head. Do 10 approaches for each leg.

To practice Bubnovsky on the floor, you need to prepare a soft surface. You can work on an orthopedic mattress. The complex cannot be called easy to perform, but the results of the exercises appear quite quickly.

Methods and periods of exercise therapy

Complexes of physical therapy depend on the stage of development of the disease and the physical characteristics of the patient.

The group method of preventive physical education takes place under the supervision of a therapist in specialized rooms. There are up to 10 people in a group.

The advisory method is used during the period of stable remission after a course of treatment. In this case, a patient with arthritis of the fingers and hands can do physical exercises at home. This approach requires periodic visits and examination by a rheumatologist.

The third method is individual training. This type of gymnastics is suitable for patients with complications in the last stages of the disease.

Gymnastics are prescribed by a rheumatologist, with the selection of an individual system for each patient.

All methods of exercise therapy are divided into 3 periods:

1. The first stage is to prepare the joints for stress. Exercises are performed for 10 minutes for 2-3 days.
2. At the main stage, the arm muscles and joint tissues are strengthened. Gymnastics are performed for 15–20 minutes for two weeks.
3. The final period lasts up to 5 days before discharge; at this stage, the set of exercises that the patient will perform at home is finally determined.

Functional motor test

To determine which set of exercises is suitable for a patient with arthritis of the hands and fingers, the doctor conducts special functional motor tests. The specialist observes how the patient performs the actions assigned to him and calculates points for their implementation. The final assessment allows us to determine whether the patient has limitations of a functional-motor nature and is able to independently care for himself and perform work.

The results of the test determine which method of exercise therapy will be most appropriate for a particular person.

Self-medication for arthritis is strictly prohibited. This also applies to physical therapy. A course of therapeutic and preventive gymnastics is prescribed by a rheumatologist or physiotherapist.

Physical therapy is a simple and effective way to prevent and treat arthritis. Thanks to a set of simple workouts, you can get rid of stiffness in movements, pain and improve the motor function of your hands. Gymnastics will help you forget about the discomfort that arthritis has brought into your life.

Sources: https://pikabu.ru/story/gimnastika_pri_artrite_paltsev_ruk_5049556 https://zen.yandex.ru/media/systavi/10-effektivnyh-uprajnenii-dlia-palcev-ruk-pri-artroze https://www.3vozrast.ru/ article/health/svedenia/13290/https://econet.ru/articles/135979-10-prostyh-uprazhneniy-dlya-kistey-ruk-pri-artrozehttps://www.liveinternet.ru/users/3347825/post309948931https: //ostamed.ru/bolezni/artrit/gimnastika-dlya-paltsev-ruk-pri-artrite.html

Stages of hand arthritis

Each stage of the disease is characterized by its own signs and symptoms:

• At the 1st, initial stage of arthritis, a feeling of discomfort and tension in the fingers appears, especially after a day of work. Symptoms of arthritis of the hands are still minor and do not attract the patient’s attention - except that seals or slight swelling appear in the joint area. There is no severe pain. The patient may notice that the fingers have become less flexible - they seem to be losing dexterity. It is at this stage that the disease is best treated.
• At the 2nd stage of arthritis of the hands, there are good reasons for concern: severe pain, dry crunching in the fingers (not episodic, from air bubbles entering the synovial fluid, but systematic), swelling, redness, hyperemia of the skin. The fingers become spindle-shaped and become less easy to listen to. Effective treatment for hand arthritis is still possible.
• At the 3rd stage of arthritis of the hand joints, the deformation of the affected joints is already clearly visible. The patient suffers from pain in his arms that does not subside even at night. Dislocations, subluxations, and ankylosis are possible.
• At the 4th stage, the hands are completely deformed, the height of the wrists decreases, and the interphalangeal fissures grow together. Any treatment for arthritis of the hands, except surgery, at stages 3 and 4 is ineffective.

Recommendations that need to be followed simultaneously with classes in the gym

To consolidate the effect obtained from exercise therapy, you must follow certain recommendations:

• wear a stable heel of 3-5 cm, additionally using a cane, knee pads or orthopedic insoles to maintain optimal load on the musculoskeletal system;
• sleep without a pillow using a medium-hard mattress;
• do short warm-ups every 30 minutes (without making sudden, jerky movements) to avoid long stays in a fixed position;
• Keep your back straight when using a computer, steering wheel or desk, using a corset if necessary.

Drugs for the treatment of arthritis of the hands

The lion's share of the therapeutic effect in the treatment of arthritis of the hands is achieved with the help of targeted drugs. Medicines for arthritis of the hands are available in the form of tablets, capsules, powders for the preparation of suspensions, solutions for IM, IV, IV administration, gels, ointments, creams and balms.

In addition to the main therapy for arthritis of the hands, the doctor may prescribe additional medications taking into account side effects or the patient’s health condition (for example, gastroprotectors for long-term use of NSAIDs - to protect the stomach).

The use of drugs to treat arthritis of the hands is an integral part of effective pain management.

Anti-inflammatory drugs

Since pain, swelling and inflammation in arthritis of the hands affect the patient’s quality of life and disrupt the nutrition of the joints, first of all, an orthopedist or rheumatologist prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (orally or externally). NSAIDs must be taken as a course or symptomatically (during exacerbation) as prescribed by a doctor.

NSAIDs include: ibuprofen, meloxicam, celecoxib, diclofenac, nimesulide, indomethacin, naproxen, ketoprofen, dexalgin.

If NSAIDs are ineffective (usually in the later stages of arthritis of the hands), corticosteroid drugs (GCs) are used. These hormonal drugs relieve pain and inflammation within the first hour after administration, but have serious side effects and limitations in use. For arthritis of the hands, they are prescribed as intra-articular injections.

For example: artradol, hydrocortisone, prednisolone, diprospan.

Chondroprotectors

These are drugs with chondroitin and/or glucosamine sulfate - natural components of bone and cartilage tissue. Unlike other medications for arthritis, chondroprotectors improve the structure of articular cartilage and even help restore the affected areas if the degenerative processes have not yet progressed too far. Chondroprotective agents slow down the destruction processes, and not only alleviate the patient’s condition.

They should be taken for life, in courses of 3 to 6 months - because cartilage metabolism occurs very slowly.

Drugs of choice: artracam, alflutop, chondroitin complex, teraflex, structum, elbona, movex.

Warming

Local warming preparations are ointments, creams, gels or balms that have an irritating effect on the skin. They are made from animal poisons (snake, bee) or plant extracts (for example, hot pepper).

In the treatment of arthritis of the hands, warming agents are used to relieve discomfort and improve metabolism in the periarticular tissues. They help eliminate swelling and increase joint mobility.

For example: viprosal, apizarthron, capsaicin ointment, espol, larkspur.

Muscle relaxants

Spasms that occur with arthritis negatively affect fine motor skills of the fingers. And sometimes they are so strong that patients drop things, unable to hold them. But even in the absence of convulsive contractions, the inflamed muscles are in constant tension. This causes pain and constant discomfort, especially during work and household chores.

To prevent muscle destruction and relax the hands, muscle relaxants are used: mydocalm, baclofen, sirdalud, tolperisone, no-spa.

Microcirculation correctors

To a large extent, the feeling of numbness and stiffness in the hands is caused by tissue starvation. The fact is that with inflammation in the joints, metabolism, circulation of blood and other fluids in the periarticular tissues are disrupted. Because of this, nutrients and oxygen are less able to reach muscles, ligaments, bones and cartilage. Therefore, after relieving inflammation, it is important to restore normal blood circulation - this task is solved by angioprotectors and microcirculation correctors.

They are produced in the form of tablets, capsules and products for external use: troxevasin, troxerutin, actovegin, pentoxifylline.

Other means

For arthritis of the joints of the hands, it is not a bad idea to take vitamins and tonic agents. A standard course of vitamins should be taken every spring and autumn, when the body is weakened. Supplements with calcium and components that improve immunity (brewer's yeast, vitamin C) - as prescribed by a doctor.

In case of infectious inflammation, it is necessary to take a course of antibiotics (penicillins or macrolides), without which arthritis of the joints of the hands will constantly recur.

For rheumatoid arthritis, the so-called basic therapy (immunosuppressants): sulfasalazine, methotrexate, leflunomide, azathioprine.

Exercises with a ball

We roll the ball on the table with either our left hand or our right. We perform circular movements, rolling the ball on the table. We do this in different directions with both hands alternately. A tennis ball or similar sized ball is suitable for performing these exercises. It is also useful to do similar exercises with a wooden ball that has a ribbed surface. A small ball with a diameter of 4–5 cm is quite enough. You can always carry it with you and roll it between your palms at every opportunity. As you can see, there are no complex movements in gymnastics for the fingers, however, performing them regularly helps to significantly improve the condition of the joints and their functions. Source

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Water gymnastics

Hydrokinesitherapy - therapeutic exercises in a pool with thermal water very effectively relax the joints of the whole body, including the upper limbs.

Water gymnastics for hand joints with arthritis effectively helps in the fight against rheumatic arthritis. Warm water relieves pain and muscles relax because in water the body does not feel its weight. This type of gymnastics is suitable even for patients with severe disabilities.

• Exercise therapy complex for rheumatoid arthritis and its duration

For arthritis of the joints of the hands and fingers, hand movements performed while swimming have a beneficial effect.

It is also effective to perform exercises by immersing yourself in water in a standing position. You can make circular movements with your shoulder and wrist joints, move your fingers up and down and rotate them.

It is not recommended to resort to water diseases for patients with allergies to chlorine, open wounds and ulcers, sexually transmitted diseases, inflammation of the throat, eyes and ears.