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? |
| 2.3 | 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 Corticostroids |
| 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 |