This past month there was an article in Arthritis Today on a woman in my area who has RA and is a Zumba instructor. One of my friends is Facebook friends with her, and I saw the following post - https://www.facebook.com/tonitales?ref=ts&fref=ts
While I’m happy for her that she appears to be in remission through diet and exercise, she and the article imply that everyone can experience remission through these means. So does this mean that those who don’t experience remission simply aren’t trying hard enough? Seriously?
I read the article but already tossed it. I wish that articles like this came with a statement saying something about this, that not all patients will experience remission at all, and that some will be only through the use of medication.
I couldn't see a link to the article via the facebook page but I'm all too familiar with claims of this sort. The subtext is, invariably, that if we were only to get off our backsides and take the supplement or potion / do the exercise routine / work on our attitude etc. etc. then yes, a bright and shiny world of renewed health would be waiting for us. The tone is generally evangelical: big on faith, small on facts.
I think RA and PsA are just so complex. The course they take is often so unpredictable that it's hugely irresponsible to isolate any one 'remedy' without sound evidence. Like a lot of people I reckon I had PsA for years before diagnosis. I'd say 8 years is a conservative estimate. But early on there were long periods when I felt very well. I certainly couldn't attribute that to drugs so maybe it was all the beer I used to drink that sorted things out? Yep, that must have been it.
I share your frustration with this kind of thing too. We all know (because we live it) that disease activity naturally waxes and wanes anyway regardless of diet, exercise, medication, beer, licking frogs whilst dancing under a full moon butt naked and painted purple (think I stole that one from tntlamb!).
Might have had a couple of days of remission myself last month when I felt pretty damn good. Maybe the "seasonal stuffing and quaffing diet" was the reason. Didn't last, though, so I can't sell it to the media and recommend it as a "cure" for all ills.
I'd love to be in remission but for me that would not only need to be complete relief from every symptom and limitation but also absolute proven certainty that this pesky little thing called PsA wasn't running silently round my body causing damage and rot that I just wasn't feeling yet. Oh, look a flying pig just went by my window ;-)
However I would never, ever denigrate positive lifestyle changes per se. I'm sure that the best possible nutrition and exercise has a huge role to play in helping things along. Possibly even naked purple moon dancing might help a bit if it makes you happy. Kind of sounds like fun.
I agree with you Sybil. Good nutrition and lifestyle can only help. But these things imply that these alone will solve all problems.
Sybil said:
However I would never, ever denigrate positive lifestyle changes per se. I’m sure that the best possible nutrition and exercise has a huge role to play in helping things along. Possibly even naked purple moon dancing might help a bit if it makes you happy. Kind of sounds like fun.
Yep and the anti-drug aspect is intensely irritating too. Everyone's got a choice of course but when you've weighed it all up very carefully, spurred on by true desperation, and decided that taking fairly powerful drugs is the only viable way forward .... it's maddening when some imply that taking the tried & tested drugs is a type of weakness.
Stoney said:
I agree with you Sybil. Good nutrition and lifestyle can only help. But these things imply that these alone will solve all problems.
Sybil said:
However I would never, ever denigrate positive lifestyle changes per se. I'm sure that the best possible nutrition and exercise has a huge role to play in helping things along. Possibly even naked purple moon dancing might help a bit if it makes you happy. Kind of sounds like fun.