Arthritis

Arthritis

Self-Help for Joint Pain

If you think that only snowy-haired grandmothers get arthritis, your vision needs revision. The same goes if you think that the first inklings of arthritis mean the beginning of the end to playing golf, cooking gourmet meals from scratch or doing everything else that you love.

"Today, women with arthritis can lead full, satisfying lives," says Teresa Brady, Ph.D., national medical adviser for the Arthritis Foundation. And Dr. Brady should know: At the age of 21, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But at 41, she's still enjoying an active, happy life.

WHY JOINTS FREEZE UP

Though there are more than 100 forms of arthritis, the two most prevalent are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis, or "wear-and-tear" arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that usually affects people over the age of 45.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that often occurs in people ages 30 to 40, but it occurs most frequently in people between the ages of 40 and 60. (Autoimmune means that your body turns against itself.) A disease with a decided sexual bias, rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than men. And pregnancy can change its course: Symptoms often decrease, only to flare up again after delivery. Rheumatoid arthritis is more sinister than osteoarthritis, because it can affect virtually every tissue in the body.

HELP FOR CRICKS AND CREAKS

No matter which form of arthritis you have, women doctors offer this advice for minimizing aches, pains, swelling and stiffness.

Nuke a sockful of rice. "One of my patients swears by her homemade rice pack for warming painful joints," says Dr. Brady. "She fills a little cotton bag (about five by eight inches) with rice and heats it in the microwave oven for two minutes."

You can make your own pouch using a fluffy white tube sock right out of the package. Either way, make sure that you test the temperature of the rice pouch before placing it on your skin. Leave the pouch in place until it cools down.

Pass the peas. Heat isn't the answer for everyone, says Dr. Brady. "Many women prefer using heat for pain, but some find cold more comfortable." When pain flares up, grab a bag of frozen peas. "Drape the bag around the joint to ease pain and swelling."

Cream yourself with hot pepper. "Applying capsaicin cream, made with the active ingredient from hot peppers, can ease arthritis pain," says Geraldine M. McCarthy, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "In our study, people applied a 0.075 percent capsaicin cream four times a day with good results. There is a 2.5 percent cream available that may work more quickly.

"Capsaicin has an effect on substance P, which nerve endings release to mediate pain," adds Dr. McCarthy. Capsaicin cream doesn't work instantly; regular applications are the key. Also, the cream burns, but this side effect diminishes over time. You can buy capsaicin cream in drugstores.

Support swollen wrists. Splinting a joint with a simple store-bought wrist splint can ease pain, says Mary Moore, M.D., director of the Einstein-Moss Arthritis Center and professor of medicine and rheumatology at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. "Sleeping with flexed wrists causes wrist pain. To keep your wrists from curling as you sleep, wear wrist splints sold at drug and department stores."

Go to bed gloved. "If you wake with stiff, swollen hands, it's because body fluids resettle at night, causing swelling in fingers that may already be swollen," says Dr. Moore. "To reduce swelling--and pain--get a snug-fitting pair of stretch gloves like Isotoners and wear them to bed."

Lubricate for lovemaking. "Sex can be painful for some women who have arthritis," says Leslie Schover, Ph.D., staff psychologist at the Center for Sexual Function at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "Some kinds of arthritis cause vaginal dryness. Get Replens--a vaginal moisturizer available over the counter--follow the directions and use it regularly as suggested."

ANOTHER VITAL INGREDIENT

Women doctors agree that to get the best of arthritis, some type of exercise is, well, just what the doctor ordered.

"You want to strengthen the muscles that support the joints," says Nadine M. Fisher, Ed.D., assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "If arthritis affects your knees, walking up or down stairs may be painfully hard. If you strengthen your knee muscles, then those stairs won't be so hard to manage."

Take an indoor ski trip. "The ideal exercise program should combine range-of-motion exercises with aerobics," says Dr. Brady. For example, a cross-country ski machine accomplishes both. "The gliding lower-body motion of cross-country skiing is good for knee and hip problems. Take it easy if you have wrist pain, though--pressure from the poling motion may hurt if you have arthritis in your hands and wrists."

Everyone, into the pool! If you have access to a pool--especially a heated indoor pool--count yourself lucky. "Water exercise benefits almost everyone with arthritis," says Dr. Brady.

Ride a bike. "Riding an exercise bike for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week improves function and reduces pain," says Bevra H. Hahn, M.D., chief of rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA School of Medicine. If you're not the most coordinated person on Earth, or if you're afraid of crashing or getting lost out on the road, a stationary bike is perfect.