What Stress Could Have Done to You and Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain and Flares- Up? For me, I can positively say that different magnitude of stress definitely influences the intensity of the pain and inflammation of the Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). While good dietary habits are a most necessary condition for reversing and controlling RA, they may not by themselves be a sufficient condition. I tend to support the notion that an absence of stress, just like the presence of a good nourishment and lifestyle, is also a necessary addition for achieving wellness. There is such strong interplay between these factors that both of which cannot be overlooked nor isolated in consideration of the approaches to take to address any pervasive RA issues. So, if you say that stress worsens your RA condition, you are most probably correct. Many studies of stress have clearly demonstrated both immune mechanisms and non- immune mechanisms that may be responsible for the increased disease activity and/or symptoms expression during the periods of stress. The stress- RA connection touched me at heart. I had expressively mentioned that the emotional trauma that I experienced during my miscarriage triggered the onset of my RA and I believed that there must be a reason how a life- stress event like this could be so powerful that it instigated my immune system to attack me. I explored the rationale of what might happen inside of me, very briefly. I was not very concerned back then about the process that put RA into my life, because I was more concerned about how to put things right. It was not until few weeks ago when another life- stress event triggered a short episode of flare- ups which had not been happening for quite a long time now that caught my attention. This time, I decided to learn and understand more about stress and its role, specifically on how it creates arthritis and what are some of the effective stress management techniques that can be employed to keep chronic stress at bay. Today, these are what my blog post is about, and I love to share my findings with you, and hope that you can be helped by these information. Stress and the . In simple language, stress can be defined as a state of disharmony or threatened homeostasis. Seen as a threat to survival, it triggers the production of cortisol, which is a substance from the adrenal gland (very much like cortisone), which activates the body to produce energy we need during the state of emergency. Our bodies are also programmed to convert T- cells (protecting cells of our immune system) into quick energy. Over time, when we unbalance our immune system with these conversions, we also permit the invasion of. In this manner, the continuous emergency state of threat to survival and flight or fight syndrome becomes a continuing stress which becomes damaging mentally, emotionally and physically. How does the Body Adapts to Stress to Create Arthritis. Stress may initiate the pathophysiological response in arthritic patient, predispose a patient to develop RA or exacerbate the initial pathophysiology according to Anderson et al 1. It is hypothesized that disruptions in the feedback loop of the stress response and the immune system over a continuum could alter inflammatory disease activity and further explain exacerbations and remissions associated with RA; in which sense, may also be associated with the inadequate or excessive cortisol production and availability. I find that the portrayal of prolonged stress by Canadian physiologist Hans Selye in his three- stages model of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) very relevant to the understanding of the overall picture. The three phases he spoke of are: (a) alarm stage (b) resistance stage and (c) exhaustion stage. Alarm Stage. A person overworks and notices . BUT, when repetitive stress goes beyond the person’s ability to compensate as quickly, here enters the second phase, resistance stage. Resistance Stage. A typical situation might be a person working 2 jobs AND leads a stressful life at home because of the need to take care of his/her children during periods of rest/recovery (Who can relate to this?). Anyway, emotionally, you may think, well, no doubt, you feel tired but you are still coping well. BUT, over time (say years), the body slowly uses up its resources and also functions with less efficiency as the person ages. Body became stagnant, circulation became inefficient to expel cellular waste or maximize distribution of blood, fluids, minerals, etc, additional stress forms as the body gradually becomes malnourished. Minor symptoms become more apparent and do not quite go away. Quite often, we tend to hide these symptoms, leaving them untreated and hidden. The persistently overworked body manifests itself into pain, stiffness and often inflammation and muscles become less elastic. More burden is placed on the tendons and ligaments to the bones and muscles, which in turn lead to additional pain and structural maladaptations. Again, the symptoms being masked up, the joint and muscle structures enter the exhaustion stage of GAS. Exhaustion Stage. The peripheral nerves leading to joints become biochemically unstable, they fire the pain signals to the joints. Joints comprise interacting bones, skins, muscles, nerves, fluids, cartilage and so forth. A condition of deficiency in nourishment also factors in cartilage degeneration, free radical damage and finally inflammation, swelling and permanent joint damage. Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and Sarah shall have a son. The reason our missions week comes to a climax today under the theme, “Is anything too hard for God?” is that Urban Ministries and Muslim. Muscular imbalance from tendon and ligament imbalances also lead to further structural stress as body attempt to compensate creates calcium spurs and further joint damage. There are also two adverse factors identified at this stage that are evident in patients of RA: Easy access of microorganisms into the body of host and resulting in tissue sensitivity to the toxins of protein byproducts. Due to molecular mimicry, the body’s immune system apparently attacks both the foreign agents and our own joint tissues. External immune complexes, usually from food allergies, may load onto the joint tissues and causing or creating irritations that lead to pain, inflammation, swelling and also joint damage. Stress and Pain and Flare- Ups. With pain, swelling and inflammation, as well as joint damage and deformity, more stress ensues. This is an established positive feedback loop, where stress initiates a physiological, mental and emotional sequence which creates more chronic stress. In terms of a flare- up, a flare- up triggers vasodilation of the surroudning capillaries and arterioles and reuslts in increased blood flow the the area as well as signs of redness and warmth. Flare ups result in edema to the affected joint in addition to decreased joint mobility which causes severe pain and disability. Affleck et al 1. 98.
RA patients as the reason for their flare- ups. To this contrary, not all studies manage to identify the direct association between inflammation and stress. The Many Faces of Stress. There is no deep complex psychological mystery that our greatest source of stress is related to relationships, finances and work/careers. Therefore, it is not even surprising that major and minor life events can be causative agents of both the development and exacerbation of RA. Major Life Events. Canada, Canadian World War 1 Soldier War Letters from the Front and letters from the Home Front and a diary. France, Germany, Belgium, England and Europe. COX LETTERS The following 38 letters were written to his family during.Of those studies examining major life- stress events (such as marriage, divorce, birth of child, loss of job, death of loved ones, etc) as predictors of RA disease onset and exacerbation, there have not been able to establish consistent evidences of an association between life stress and exacerbation of RA: Thomason et al 1. RA disease activity. Salmond 1. 98. 9 identified a positive link between major stressors (children problems, marital crisis and financial difficulties) and symptom exacerbation. Rimon and Laasko 1. RA onset resulted from a major traumatic life even occuring in the year prior to disease onset. Hassett and Clauw 2. Minor Life Events. What about findings pertaining to small, chronic stressors of everyday life? Many theories suggest that small chronic stressors experienced in daily life in sufficient quantities may also place enough burden on a person already weakened by chronic illness to precipitate an exacerbation of the disease. Some of these findings are appended below: De. Longist et al 1. 98. Highly intense and frequent hassles were associated with poor overall health status. Thomason et al 1. RA patients and it was found that minor stress was significantly correlated with inflammation. Crosby 1. 98. 8 related similar results with 1. RA patients who were assessed in relation to daily stress factors, emotional stress levels and RA disease activity. Helpful Stress Relief and Management Techniques. Once the stressors of your life have been identified, it is imperative to know that these stressors can be manageable and hence, the disease flares are controllable. The key is to invoke a sense of personal control over the entire disease process with coping strategies and of course, learning how to deal with these stresses. Some techniques employed with success in RA patients include relaxation training, guided imagery or visualisation, exercise, meditation, yoga, EFT, aromatherapy and many others. Relaxation Training. Relaxation training helps patients to maximise their energy level and is an effective coping mechanism. The Relaxation Response is a natural innate protective mechanism which allows us to turn off harmful effects from stress through changes that decrease heart rate, lower metabolism, decrease rate of breathing, and in this way being the body back into a healthier balance. The relaxation response. New York: Avon Books. If you are interested to learn more about the relaxation response, click here and here. Benson discusses his latest book Relaxation Revolution which details the science behind the benefits of relaxation practices such as meditation, yoga, and repetitive prayer. While traditional medicine focuses on surgery and medication, Dr.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2017
Categories |