When you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA)—an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and chronic fatigue—there’s a good chance you field a lot of advice from friends, family, and strangers about how to ease your discomfort. While the people doling out their best tips may mean well, it’s impossible for them to really understand the symptoms you’re experiencing, or what will make you feel better.
Shoulder stretches can help relieve pain and stiffness in tight shoulders, which are a common problem among most adults. Stretching is a great way to improve flexibility and mobility and prevent injury.
Carpal tunnel syndrome involves the compression of the median nerve in the wrist, which can cause pain and numbness in the hand. Certain hand exercises can help relieve pressure on the median nerve and alleviate symptoms.
A shoulder separation is an injury to the acromioclavicular joint on the top of the shoulder. The shoulder joint is formed at the junction of three bones: the collarbone (clavicle), the shoulder blade (scapula), and the arm bone (humerus). A shoulder separation occurs where the clavicle and the scapula come together.
A sprained thumb is an injury to a ligament, which is a soft tissue that connects bones to each other at the joints to keep it stable, as opposed to a thumb fracture (break) which is an injury to the bone. The ulnar collateral ligament is the most injured ligament in the thumb. This particular ligament connects the thumb to the hand on the side closest to your index finger.
