There is actually no such thing as a single rheumatic disease. Rheumatism is a so-called group of very similar diseases. What they have in common is the painful inflammation in the joints. In addition to medication, rheumatism can be controlled through exercise and a healthy diet.
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Rheumatism is not a single disease. The term covers around 100 different forms of inflammatory processes. The term comes from the ancient Greek and means something like "pulling pain". This pain is the main characteristic of rheumatic diseases.
Rheumatism can affect all ages and both sexes equally. Even children can suffer from rheumatism.
Joints of a hand deformed by rheumatoid arthritis © Wikimedia Commons
What we generally refer to as rheumatism is actually rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease. However, it also includes
are also classed as rheumatic diseases. Doctors refer to soft tissue rheumatism as fibromyalgia. This is a generalized, diffuse pain disorder of the muscles and joints.
Moreover, rheumatism is not limited exclusively to the joints. Rheumatic eye diseases and inflammation of the heart muscle can also occur, as can inflammation of the kidneys, for example.
All rheumatic diseases are based on inflammation and the associated pain.
One of the most common chronic joint inflammations is rheumatoid arthritis. It is also known as chronic polyarthritis. An estimated 800,000 Germans are affected. Women are affected about twice as often as men.
In rheumatoid arthritis, it is mainly the inner lining of the joints that becomes inflamed.
This leads to restricted movement and severe pain.
Watch the video to see how the disease progresses in the hip joint:
There is currently no cure for rheumatism. However, if the disease is detected early, the disease process can be slowed down considerably. Otherwise, the disease ends in a loss of function of the affected joints as a result of complete joint destruction.
Thefirst signs of rheumatism are usually still very unspecific. They often include
At this stage, it is almost impossible to classify the symptoms as rheumatism.
As the disease progresses, however, the signs become increasingly clear. The joints are swollen, reddened and slightly warm. In addition, joint stiffness may occur in the morning.
Pain often occurs first in the toes and fingers. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by symmetrical symptoms. For example, both knee joints are always affected.
If left untreated, the joint inflammation (arthritis) culminates in joint destruction. This usually results in deformation and joint stiffness.
Illustration of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis © GraphicsRF | Fotolia
The doctor, usually a rheumatologist or rheumatology orthopaedist, confirms his suspected diagnosis by means of a blood test. Among other things, the following are measured
Rheumatic diseases cannot always be traced back to one fundamental cause. Various possibilities are therefore also discussed for rheumatoid arthritis, e.g:
It is very likely that the disease is triggered by a mixture of different influences.
The aim of rheumatism therapy is to reduce the inflammation and at the same time reduce the pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short, have proven to be the most effective. These are very effective painkillers, such as diclofenac.
However, they are not fully recommended for long-term use. Many of these painkillers damage the kidneys and stomach and should therefore not be taken permanently. In severe cases of rheumatism, however, there are not many alternatives.
In addition, there is now a whole range of naturopathic approaches. These range from willow bark and green-lipped mussel to leech therapy. However, natural therapy methods generally take longer to take effect. An effect can only be expected if the disease is not too far advanced.
In addition to drug therapy, gentle exercise helps to slow down the progression of rheumatism. Physiotherapy is very important here.
Other suitable and joint-friendly options for more exercise are
Rheumatism can be very well influenced by an appropriate diet. Fruit and vegetables as well as little meat, but eggs and fish should be on the rheumatics' table. This applies to all forms of rheumatism, whether rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis or gout.
Meat contains a lot of animal fatty acids, of which arachidonic acid is the most dangerous. The body produces prostaglandins, so-called inflammatory messengers, from this. So if you eat a lot of meat, you also consume a lot of arachidonic acid. This is the basis for a veritable flood of prostaglandins. As a result, the inflammation levels in the body skyrocket.
This results in more rheumatic pain and faster deterioration of the affected joints.
In contrast to meat, fish contains many omega-3 fatty acids. These are natural antagonists of arachidonic acid. They block the enzyme that produces the inflammatory messengers. This puts rheumatism to rest.
Eggs contain high-quality proteins. They are the building material for the body that can repair the damage caused by inflammation.
Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals. These support health and act as antioxidants against inflammation.
A balanced and conscious diet is therefore an important cornerstone of rheumatism therapy. It also serves to prevent rheumatism.
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