Arthritis

By: Tammi L. Shlotzhauer, M.D. and James L. McGuire, M.D.

Course Outline

A trusted guide and an invaluable resource, Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis offers practical advice for the millions of people coping with this painful disease. Now thoroughly revised and expanded in a second edition, this book brings readers up to date with the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Providing detailed information on medication, nutrition, and resources (online and off), this volume is a complete and comprehensive guide to the management of a difficult disease.

About the Authors

Tammi L. Shlotzhauer, M.D., is a clinical instructor of medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a practicing rheumatologist at Rheumatology Associates of Rochester.

James L. McGuire, M.D., was a chairman of the department of medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Course Contents

1. The Joints and Rheumatoid Arthritis

1.1  The Joints
  1.1.1  Rigid joints
  1.1.2  Slightly mobile joints
  1.1.3  Freely movable joints
  1.1.4  What are the parts of a synovial joint?
1.2  The joints in RA
  1.2.1  What is inflammation?
  1.2.2  How is the inflammation of RA different from normal
  1.2.3  Inflammation?
  1.2.4  The stages of RA: How does inflammation affect the joints?
1.3  Summary

2. The Course and Prognosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

2.1  The course of RA
  2.1.1  How does RA usually start?
  2.1.2  What course of arthritis can I expect?
  2.1.3  Can a remission be brought on with medications?
2.2  The Prognosis of RA
  2.2.1  Can arthritis be cured?
  2.2.2  Will other joints become involved with time?
  2.2.3  Will I become disabled?
  2.2.4  Does RA shorten a person’s life?
1.3  Summary

3. Diagnosing Rheumatoid Arthritis: Why So Many Tests?

3.1  Clinical History
3.2  Physical Examination
3.3  Differential Diagnosis
  3.3.1  What makes RA so difficult to diagnose?
3.4  Diagnostic Tests
  3.4.1  What tests are used to diagnose or monitor activity of RA?
  3.4.2  What tests are used to rule out other types of arthritis?
3.5 What tests are used to screen for complications of RA or medication side effects?
3.6 Summary

4. Outside the Joints: Other Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

4.1  Blood and Blood Vessels
  4.1.1  How does RA affect the blood?
4.2  What about blood vessels?
4.3  Eyes and Mouth
4.4  Skin
4.5  Nerves
4.6  Chest and Lungs
4.7  Vocal Cords
4.8  The Heart
4.9  The Bones
4.10  Summary

5. Coping Strategies

5.1  Define and Assess the Problem
5.2  Set Realistic Goals and Expectations
5.3  Develop Methods for Problem Solving and Negotiating
  5.3.1  Eliminating the problem
  5.3.2  Circumventing the problem
  5.3.3  Working with the obstacle
  5.3.4  Modifying the goal
5.4  Utilize All Available Resources
5.5  Modify Negative Thoughts and Behaviors
5.6  Be Willing to Reassess
5.7  For More Information

6. Coping with Pain and Fatigue

6.1  Pain
  6.1.1  What is pain?
  6.1.2  Pain and your emotions
  6.1.3  What is the pain message in RA?
  6.1.4  Decreasing pain
6.2  Fatigue
  6.2.1  Why am I so tired?
  6.2.2  Controlling fatigue
6.3  For More Information

7. Coping with Emotions- Yours and Everyone Else’s

7.1  Anger
7.2  Managing anger
7.3  Depression
  7.3.1  Managing depression
7.4  Anxiety, Fear, and Stress
  7.4.1  Relieving tension: Dealing with anxiety, fear, and stress
7.5  Dealing with friends and Family
  7.5.1  Asking for help
  7.5.2  The special case of children
  7.5.3  Love and intimacy
  7.5.4  Friends and relatives
7.6  For More Information

8. Protecting Your Joints

8.1  Joint Protection Guidelines
8.2  Protecting Specific Joints
  8.2.1  Hands and wrists
  8.2.2  Elbows and shoulders
  8.2.3  Hips and knees
  8.2.4  Ankles and feet
8.3  For More Information

9. Exercise and Rheumatoid Arthritis

9.1  Trends in therapeutic Advice
9.2  Types of Exercise
  9.2.1  Range of motion
  9.2.2  Strengthening
  9.2.3  Endurance
9.3  Starting and Exercise Program
  9.3.1  Warm-up
  9.3.2  Workout
  9.3.3  Cools-down
9.4  Exercises That Are Right for You
  9.4.1  For people with very inflamed joints
  9.4.2  For people with moderately inflamed joints
  9.4.3  For people with controlled joints
9.5  For More Information

10. Specific Exercises

10.1  Range-of-Motion and Strengthening Exercises
  10.1.1  Neck range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.2  Neck muscle-strengthening exercises
  10.1.3  Shoulder range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.4  Elbow range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.5  Shoulder and elbow muscle-strengthening exercises
  10.1.6  Wrist and finger range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.7  Hip range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.8  Knee range-of-motion exercises
  10.1.9  Hip and knee muscle-strengthening exercises
10.2  Endurance, or Aerobic, Exercises
  10.2.1  What is your target heart rate?
  10.2.2  Taking your pulse
  10.2.3  Beginning your aerobic exercise program
10.3  For More Information

11. Medications Past, Present, Future

11.1  The Past: The Conservative Approach
11.2  The Present: More Aggressive Approaches to Therapy
11.3  The Future
11.4  Current Treatments: NSAIDs, DMARDs, BRMs, and Corticosteroids
11.5  For More Information

12. Aspirin, Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), and COX-2 Inhibitors

12.1  Aspirin
  12.1.1  Side effects of aspirin therapy
  12.1.2  Cautionary notes
12.2  Traditional NSAIDs
  12.2.1  Side effects of traditional NSAIDs
  12.2.2  Cautionary notes
12.3  New NSAIDs: COX-2 Inhibitors
  12.3.1  Side effects of COX-2 inhibitors
  12.3.2  Cautionary notes
12.4  Stomach Medications Frequently Used with NSAIDs

13. Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

13.1  Nonimmunosuppressant DMARDs
13.2  Immunosuppressants
13.3  For More Information

14. Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs) and a Biologic Medical Device

14.1  Understanding Cytokines and Inflammation
  14.1.1  Using the body’s secrets to tame inflammation: Creating the Biologics
14.2  Biologic Response Modifiers against TNF
14.3  Biologic Response Modifiers against IL-1
14.4  A Biologic Medical Device for Protein A Immunoadsorption
  14.4.1  Side effects of prosorba column therapy
14.5  For More Information

15. Corticosteroids

15.1  Oral Corticosteroids
  15.1.1  Side effects of oral corticosteroids
  15.1.2  Cautionary notes
15.2  Corticosteroid Injections
  15.2.1  What to do after a joint injection

16. Osteoporosis Treatments

16.1  Dietary and Life-Style Treatments
16.2  Medicinal Treatments
16.3  For More Information

17. Alternative and Complementary Therapies

17.1  Aromatherapy
17.2  Ayurveda
17.3  Bodywork
17.4  Breathing Techniques, Breath Therapy or Breathwork
17.5  Chinese Medicine
  17.5.1  Acupuncture
  17.5.2  Tai Chi
  17.5.3  Qi-gong
  17.5.4  Chinese herbs
17.6  Music and Sound Therapy
17.7  Other Mind-Body Therapies
17.8  Naturopathy
17.9  Spa Therapy and Hydrotherapy
17.10  Homeopathy
17.11  Guidelines for Evaluating Unproven Treatments
17.12  For More Information

18. Nutrition: Diets, Nutrients, and Food Supplements

18.1  Nutrition and RA
18.2  A Well-Balanced, Nutritious Diet
  18.2.1  The food guide pyramid
18.3  Dietary Guidelines for Americans
18.4  Special Diets
  18.4.1  Elimination Diets
  18.4.2  Fasting
  18.4.3  Vegetarian diets
  18.4.4  Gluten-free diet
  18.4.5  Fad diets
18.5  A Word on Food Supplements
  18.5.1  Guidelines for evaluating food supplements
18.6  Vitamins and Minerals
  18.6.1  Vitamins
  18.6.2  Minerals
18.7  Herbs and Plant-Based Medicine
18.8  Other Supplements
18.9  For More Information

19. Surgery for Rheumatoid Arthritis

19.1  Surgeons Specializing in the Treatment of RA
19.2  Types of Surgery
  19.2.1  Arthroscopic surgery
  19.2.2  Synovectomy
  19.2.3  Tendon reconstruction and transfers
  19.2.4  Joint fusion
  19.2.5  Osteotomy and bone resection
  19.2.6  Joint replacement
19.3  Preparing for and Recovering from Surgery
  19.3.1  Before surgery
  19.3.2  During your recovery
19.4  For More Information

20. Disability, Insurance, and Other Financial Matters

20.1  Disability Benefits
  20.1.1  Commercial and employment disability programs
  20.1.2  State disability policies
  20.1.3  Social Security disability benefits
  20.1.4  Vocational rehabilitation benefits
20.2  Health Insurance
  20.2.1  Private health insurance
  20.2.2  Government health insurance
20.3  Veterans Administration (VA) Benefits
20.4  Income Taxes
20.5  For More Information

21. Other Issues

21.1  Surfing the Net: Empowerment or Deception?
21.2  Clinical Research
  21.2.1  What is clinical research?
  21.2.2  How do clinical studies operate?
  21.2.3  Should I participate in a clinical trial?
21.3  Travel Tips
  21.3.1  Medical tips for travelers
  21.3.2  Driving tips
  21.3.3  When traveling by air
21.4  Pregnancy and Childbirth
  21.4.1  Can I become pregnant?
  21.4.2  How will my pregnancy affect my RA?
  21.4.3  How will my RA affect my unborn child?
  21.4.4  Can I breastfeed my infant?
  21.4.5  Will my child have RA?
  21.4.6  Will I be able to care for my baby?
21.5  Immunization for the Person with RA
  21.5.1  Should I get a yearly flu shot?
  21.5.2  Are there other vaccinations that I may want to get?
21.6  RA in Children and Adolescents
21.7  For More Information

Closing Thoughts

Glossary

Bibliography

Index