15 Surprising Facts About Rheumatoid Arthritis
In the past, people with RA were often rail-thin; exercise was thought to do further damage to the joints, so their muscles atrophied, says David Pisetsky, M.D., professor of medicine and immunology at the Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, N.C. In addition, the chronic inflammation associated with RA causes weight loss and loss of appetite, he says.
Today, medicines curb inflammation, and exercise is part of treatment -- so RA doesn't have to mean wasting away.
While exercise can be difficult (if not impossible) during a flare-up, activity is generally thought to help, not hurt, people with RA.
More from Health.com: 10 Health Risks Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis How RA Differs from Osteoarthritis 15 Things Not to Say to Someone in Pain
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/13/rheumatoid-arthritis-facts_n_925590.html
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