Can exercises help rheumatoid arthritis of the spine?
Once joint destruction of the spine has set in, there are no specific exercises that can stop or arrest the development of spinal instability. Maintenance of a normal body posture and a low-impact exercise program are necessary to avoid severe secondary problems, such as spontaneous spine fractures and maintain reasonable levels of cardiopulmonary fitness. Chiropractic manipulation of RA patients with spinal involvement is, however, clearly contraindicated due to the risk of causing spinal instability to worsen. Cases of paralysis after spine manipulation have been reported. Specifically, how is rheumatoid arthritis of the spine improved by spine surgery for rheumatoid arthritis? Spine surgery can improve the quality of life of an affected RA patient in several major ways: • By resecting a diseased joint and creating a permanent bond between the affected vertebrae (in a procedure referred to as “fusion”), rheumatoid arthritis and its related symptoms are extinguished from that area. •
