“Weight Loss Surgery helps in Rheumatoid Arthritis” says a recent study

June 15, 2015 - PRLog -- A recent study has shown that weight loss following bariatric surgery has shown significant improvement in disease control, reduction in inflammation and need for medication in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Unlike osteoarthritis, which is the chronic condition of the joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur in genetically susceptible individuals and are an outcome of the body’s own mechanism mistakenly attacking healthy tissues.The problem in these cases is that there is no actual illness or infection. The body is basically attacking itself and damaging healthy tissues mistaking it for foreign containment based on an unknown trigger. Treatment for autoimmune diseases generally focuses on reducing immune system activity. There is a pretty extensive list of autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, lupus, Graves’s disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Pain, swelling and stiffness in joints are indicators of rheumatoid arthritis. RA affects both sides of the body i.e. both hands and ankles causing swelling and severe pain. There is a possibility that the disease could also affect the skin, eyes, cardiovascular system, or the nervous system.

How do you establish that you have RA?
The symptoms of RA are slow. The damage to the joints is done even before one could begin to show symptoms like redness, swelling, pain and stiffness. Therefore, it is important to be watchful and immediate see a doctor when you notice discomfort.  Your consulting physician would diagnose you with RA or any other form of arthritis and suggest you see a rheumatologist for better long term care and treatment.

RA is an individual disease; it affects everyone differently. A treatment plan geared for you, and for the severity of your disease, will be formulated by your rheumatologist.

Weight loss, Diet and RA
Your diet has a big impact on how you deal with arthritis in general, and RA in particular. As RA is an autoimmune disorder, certain foods could trigger attacks more frequently than in any other form of arthritis. Certain foods can also help reduce your symptoms. Keeping a track of what you consume could benefit in the long run.

Weight loss is recommended for most arthritis sufferers, as excess weight puts stress on your joints, increasing pain and stiffness, caused by arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects the major weight-bearing joints, so weight loss is definitely beneficial for these patients. RA is different; the joints affected by RA are not typically weight-bearing, so weight loss as a therapy is not as obvious for an RA patient.

A recent study suggests that bariatric surgery might significantly reduce the need for RA-related medications and even induce long-term remission requiring no medications in some patients. The researchers found that indicators of inflammation decreased along with the weight.

The study evaluated the impact of significant weight loss in RA and the impact of such weight loss due to surgical intervention. Out of the 53 RA patients that were chosen, 26% of the patients also suffered from osteoarthritis while a quarter of them had either asthma or type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion
Arthritis, in all its forms, has no known cure. Rheumatoid arthritis, being an autoimmune disorder, has fewer treatment options than other forms of the disease. A combination of allopathic and integrative medicine provides a patient with the best possible medical treatment options available (https://www.indicure.com/), and may lead to a less painful lifestyle. Of the natural treatments a patient can undergo, weight loss surgery has many benefits (https://www.indicure.com/weight-loss-surgery.htm), both for the RA and just in general. Weight loss leads to lower stress on the body, and for someone suffering from a stress-induced or stress-related chronic disease, that’s definitely, a good thing.However, being overweight affects every system in your body, and having to move the extra pounds puts stress on your entire body. Fatigue, fever, and a general malaise are part of having RA, and carrying extra weight will certainly cause a patient to have a higher fatigue level. While not having a direct effect on the weight-bearing joints, RA is still affected by any extra pounds the patient may be hauling around with them.

Losing weight will definitely help an RA patient cope with their disease. Some RA patients are affected in their ankles, so weight loss reduces the strain placed on the joints by the extra pounds, and can result in less pain and stiffness. The joints are still under attack, but the weight loss will ease the suffering, and may reduce the damage.

If your condition is too far gone, surgery as an option could be considered. For all your surgical need you could visit India with IndiCure for a medical trip clubbed with a relaxing holiday. IndiCure specializes in facilitating the best joint replacement surgery doctored by only the chosen best orthopedic surgeons in India (https://www.indicure.com/surgeon.htm). For a FREE CONSULTATION for your affordable joint replacement surgery in India (https://www.indicure.com/joint-replacement-surgery.htm), write to us at info@indicure.com or call us at +91-932-003-6777 | +1-877-270-2448 or Skype us @ Indicure.