Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted: March 15, 2016
Read more »Question:
Dear Belleruth,
I have a new client who was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition about 10 years ago. He's determined not to let his disease own him and is doing everything to beat it. He decided to add Meditative Massage to his regimen of therapies. [Ed. Note:This is a program where the client's choice of a Health Journeys guided imagery audio is played during the massage – in this case he chose the guided imagery to help with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
While as much as he liked the topic, he admitted to having trouble focusing until it was almost over. We'll be working together soon and I'd like to help him get more out of his session next time. What would you suggest?
As always, thank you for all that you do.
Hannah, LMT
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Posted: January 27, 2013Read more »
Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi assessed the efficacy of a brief yoga-based intervention on lowering stress and reducing inflammation in patients with chronic inflammatory disease in a preliminary study with a pre-post design.
Subjects were patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and others who suffered from being overweight or obese.
The program consisted of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), stress management, group discussions, lectures, and individualized coaching.Outcomes were changes from day 0 to day 10 in plasma cortisol and β-endorphin to measure reductions in stress: and interleukin [IL]-6 and tumor necrosis factor [TNF] - to measure reductions in inflammation.
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Posted: April 05, 2009Read more »
Researchers from the Department of Anesthesiology of the Pain Clinic, in Hannover, Germany, compared the efficacy of auricular electrio-acupuncture (EA) to autogenic training (AT) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty-four patients with RA were randomized to either EA or AT groups which met once a week for 6 weeks.
Primary outcome measures were the mean weekly pain intensity and the disease activity score (DAS 28). Secondary outcome measures were the use of pain medication, the pain disability index (PDI), the clinical global impression (CGI) and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, which were assessed during the study period and 3 months after the end of treatment. -
Posted: November 30, 1999Read more »
A research team led by Vaughn Sinclair from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing & Vanderbilt Medical Center evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral nursing intervention for women with rheumatoid arthritis. Ninety adult women with RA participated in 1 of 14 nurse-led groups over an 18-month period. Personal coping resources, pain-coping behaviors, psychological well-being, and disease symptomatology were measured at four time periods. There were significant changes on all of the measures of personal coping resources (p < .001) and psychological well-being (p < .05), half of the pain-coping behaviors (p < .05), and one indicator of disease symptomatology (fatigue, p < .05) from pre- to post intervention. And the positive changes brought about by the program were maintained over the 3-month follow-up period. The study suggests that this kind of intervention could be adapted to benefit individuals with a variety of stressful medical conditions.
Citation: Sinclair VG, Wallston KA, Dwyer KA, Blackburn DS, Fuchs H. Effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for women with rheumatoid arthritis. Research in Nursing & Health 1998 Aug; 21 (4): 315-26.
