If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor may have prescribed medication to reduce inflammation and prevent joint pain. But sometimes you need a boost from your medication, or you want to feel proactive in managing your symptoms. Can natural therapies like acupuncture, herbal supplements, massage, meditation, and mind-body exercise help treat rheumatoid arthritis?
Chicago-based rheumatologist Robert S. Katz, MD, says non-pharmacological treatments for RA may be beneficial, but only after drug intervention has brought the disease under control. “With rheumatoid arthritis, you need to get the inflammation down, and that requires drug therapy,” says Katz.
Still, it’s never a bad idea to look after your physical and mental health. While many complementary therapies need further RA-specific research, some have been well-studied for their effectiveness against RA-related symptoms, like depression and heart disease, which are common in RA patients.
If you’re looking for ways to augment your medication regimen, consider the following complementary and alternative therapies for RA:
Acupuncture, a popular alternative treatment for people with fibromyalgia and back pain, may also be effective for those with rheumatoid arthritis, says Stella Byrd, MD, a rheumatologist in McKinney, Texas. “Acupuncture can be used as an adjunct to help relieve pain alongside treatment,” says Byrd. “It has minimal side effects and appears to be potentially effective.”
In fact, a review of over 40 studies involving RA patients found that acupuncture may be effective for RA patients as a primary or adjunctive treatment tool.
What is acupuncture exactly? This ancient Chinese therapy is based on the belief that everyone has an energy force called chi (sometimes spelled qi, but both are pronounced “chee”) that travels along channels within the body. Acupuncturists aim to improve the flow of this energy force by removing “blockages” within the body. This is done by inserting very fine needles into specific points on the body.
Depending on the specific pain, the practitioner may insert multiple needles over a period of approximately 20-40 minutes.
From a Western scientific perspective, it is not clear how acupuncture relieves pain. Neuroscience Letters, Acupuncture is thought to stimulate the release of endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals in the body that act as painkillers. When endorphins are released, they reduce the perception of pain.
Caution: Herbs and herbal supplements may interfere with or cause serious interactions with over-the-counter and prescription medications, according to a journal study. American Family Physician (And many more.) Always check with your doctor before using any combination of medications. The supplement industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and quality control is generally questionable.
There is little evidence that herbal supplements are effective for RA symptoms, but some research suggests that supplements such as devil’s claw, borage seed oil, white willow bark, and boswellia may reduce inflammation and pain.
Another option is curcumin, a compound found in the spice turmeric. “Turmeric has been shown in clinical trials to reduce inflammation,” says Dr. Bird. One systematic review and meta-analysis found that curcumin helped reduce inflammation across eight clinical trials.
Dr. Bird also recommends supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve heart health and lower your risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. This is especially important given the correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease.
Studies have also shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids can improve the outcomes of RA treatment. Additionally, a recent literature review found that omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation.[Omega-3] “Not only is it important for heart health, it’s also beneficial for arthritis,” asserts Dr. Bird.
But not all rheumatologists recommend herbal supplements as part of an RA treatment plan because of a lack of large, long-term studies on the topic. “I would stay away from herbal medications,” Dr. Katz says. [high-quality] Scientific evidence that it works.”
Massage involves stroking, kneading, and mobilizing soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments. Getting regular massages may help reduce pain. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine The most evidence suggests that massage can be effective for lower back pain. Although massage is not a proven treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, it is generally safe and has no side effects.
It’s important to avoid massaging directly on or near areas inflamed by arthritis, as this can make the inflammation worse. Also, if you have conditions like osteoporosis, deep vein thrombosis, skin infections or open wounds, deep tissue massage (the type that applies the most pressure) may not be right for you. However, there are over 100 different massage techniques, so if one method doesn’t work for you, you can try another.
Meditation, mindfulness practices, and deep breathing exercises can all teach you how to release muscle tension and control your body’s response to stress. Taking even five minutes a day to reflect and relax can improve your mood and reduce pain.
According to one research review, meditation may be able to improve self-reported pain scores and depression symptoms (especially recurrent depression) in people with RA.
Yoga and Pilates combine gentle stretching, focused breathing, core strengthening and meditation. These exercises also help improve balance and posture and reduce stress. Mind-body exercises are designed to help control RA pain so you can live a healthy, active life.
“The gentle stretching provided by these types of exercises restores and maintains range of motion in joints that become stiff and inflamed in RA,” says Dr. Bird. One systematic review of over 800 people found that yoga was beneficial for maintaining physical function and range of motion (though it was less effective at directly relieving joint pain).
Dr. Katz recommends working with a rheumatologist to reduce joint inflammation before beginning an exercise program. “If you can get that inflammation under control first, exercise will be much more effective and easier,” Dr. Katz says. And of course, be sure to tell your doctor if you have any health problems besides the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
Complementary therapies like yoga can’t compete with medication when it comes to relieving RA pain, but when used in conjunction with medication, they can play an important role in helping you feel better more quickly.
This article was first published on December 21, 2022 and last updated on January 23, 2023.
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