Calling all women with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: Relief could be as close as your cell phone. Apps, podcasts and other resources can help you track RA symptoms, discover new treatments and exercise anywhere. Here are our 8 top picks and where to find them. Plus, visit our new Rheumatoid Arthritis Health Center and take our inflammation IQ quiz…
Mary Lou Webb, 60, of Denton, Texas, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1992. After the autoimmune disease resulted in spinal surgery and a limited range of motion, she turned to yoga, an exercise approved by her doctors.
But instead of taking classes, which often include routines she can’t perform, she uses a phone app that lets her choose from 101 different yoga poses – with modifications. She can vary the type of poses according to how she feels.
“Different moves take stress off different parts of the body,” Webb says. “So you choose the most helpful, depending where arthritis hits you hardest.”
It’s also completely portable – she can do yoga anywhere, anytime she wants.
Several apps, podcasts and other resources for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch help patients track symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and learn about new treatments. They can be downloaded to any Apple device, either for free or a nominal fee.
(Sorry, Android users – it looks like the iPhone has the market cornered on RA-related apps at this time.)
While they aren’t a substitute for doctor’s care and rheumatoid arthritis treatment, they can improve your self-care program.
We surveyed RA sufferers to find out which tools they found most useful. Here are the top picks, including the yoga app:
1. My Pain Diary
This app allows you to track your RA symptoms and pain levels, then share that data with your doctor. During checkups, you’ll be able to give a clear picture of pain patterns and how you’ve been feeling, rather than having to rely on your memory.
“Most people don’t come in prepared for their doctor’s visit,” says arthritis specialist Elton Strauss, M.D., chief of adult reconstructive surgery and orthopedic trauma at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “They may complain of rheumatoid arthritis pain, but they’re often not specific. Others can be shy or nervous when they see the doctor. So an app that spells it out is great.”
Features include:
Customizable lists of pain types, locations, triggers and remedies, so you can input new diary entries quickly and easily
A printable doctor’s summary you can bring to your next appointment
A color-coded calendar to help you find and track symptom patterns
The ability to export data to a spreadsheet for further analysis
Reminders to record pain levels at regular intervals
Where to find it: iTunes store; $4.99
2. ReumaMonitor
With ReumaMonitor, you can track specific RA symptoms by noting the joints where you experience swelling and tenderness. The app uses DAS28, a shortened form of the Disease Activity Score that doctors use to measure RA activity.
You can graph symptoms for up to six months, which can help you and your doctor decide future treatments.
Keep in mind, however, that obsessing over pain could make it worse, says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers of America.
“Apps that track the severity of your symptoms on a daily basis may increase your pain by making you focus on it,” he warns.
So discuss this app with your doctor to see if it’s right for you.
Where to find it: iTunes store; free
3. Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Arthritis
This app – from Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic and natural-products company Gaiam – offers an integrated health plan designed by wellness experts to help relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
There are three parts:
1. Mayo Clinic arthritis specialists explain the condition, covering both conventional and alternative treatments.
2. Nutrition expert Donald Hensrud, M.D., chair of the Mayo Clinic’s preventive medicine department, discusses healthful shopping and eating. Then, a dietitian follows up with meal-planning advice.
3. Well-known yoga instructor Rodney Yee leads a 40-minute session of gentle yoga and stress-relieving meditation specifically designed for exercise beginners with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
An interactive stress-reducing tool is also included. And that’s important: Chronic stress can increase RA symptoms, research has found. One 2011 study, published in the European Journal of Pain, showed that stress makes the body produce a protein that can increase soreness (pro-inflammatory cytokines).
Informational apps like this one can be especially helpful to people with RA or loved ones who don’t know much about the disease, Strauss says.
Where to find it: iTunes store; $24.99 (also available as a DVD)
4. The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Arthritis
Coming from one of the top hospitals in the country for rheumatology and joint care, The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Arthritis app ranks high in credibility.
It offers you instant access to the book with the same name, which was developed by rheumatologist John D. Clough, M.D., former chairman of the clinic’s Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases.
The benefit of downloading the app: You can access the RA information you need wherever you are – from facts about treatments and medication side effects to inspirational stories from other people with RA.
Where to find it: iTunes store; $9.99
5. RAadvisor Podcasts
These free informational podcasts and videos can teach you about RA while you’re in the car, taking a walk or relaxing at home.
They feature rheumatologists and other doctors – as well as registered dietitians and people living with the disorder – discussing a broad range of topics, such as coping with rheumatoid arthritis pain and fatigue, identifying symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and following a healthful diet.
The podcasts are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, and may be more likely to feature a medication-focused approach to treatment.
Where to find it: iTunes store; free
6. 101 Yoga Poses
Mary Lou Webb’s favorite app brings both portability and variety to your yoga practice.
A mix of seated, standing and advanced postures helps people with RA find routines that work for them. Each comes with step-by-step instructions and information on modifying poses for those unable to attain the original position.
“Exercise such as yoga, from an instructor who’s in tune with arthritis and allows for modifications, is appropriate for people with RA,” Strauss says.
Where to find it: iTunes store; $0.99
7. Exercise by MDWorkout.com
In this workout app, certified yoga instructors, personal trainers and MDs demonstrate more than 80 exercises through written instructions, video demonstrations and high-resolution photos.
It features strength, yoga, core, cardio and “functional” training (exercising for everyday movements), along with charts to track your workouts, body measurements and weekly nutritional intake.
Exercise benefits women with RA, Strauss says. Besides helping joints, it releases endorphins (feel-good brain chemicals).
And the modified exercise options make this app easy to use for women with RA and those new to exercise.
“I like this app, as I recommend yoga, water therapy/exercise and tai chi to my RA patients,” says Stephen L. Burnstein, D.O., F.A.C.R., board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and a professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “The price seems fair, especially considering the videos.”
But discuss this, or any other, exercise program with your doctor before starting it.
Where to find it: iTunes store; $4.99
8. myMeditation
If you’re new to meditation and breath work, this app will help you get started. It explains the benefits of breath work and lets you choose a breathing pattern (such as inhaling for five seconds, holding for five seconds, and exhaling for six seconds) with sound patterns to guide you. A timer ensures you practice breath work or silent meditation for as long as you’d like.
Several studies show the positive effects of meditation on stress reduction as part of RA treatment.
“I recommend meditation to my RA patients for stress management and pain processing,” Burnstein says.
Where to find it: iTunes store; $2.99
Learn more about symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and how to manage the disorder in our new Rheumatoid Arthritis Health Center.
What’s Your Inflammation IQ?
Inflammation has become a hot topic over the last few years. The latest scientific research indicates that inflammation is behind more than 80% of the conditions we suffer from – everything from arthritis to heart disease. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The UltraSimple Diet, agrees that inflammation leads to a host of health problems. Fighting it can get you on track to a healthier, happier life.
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