Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissue, severe joint pain, painfully swollen joints and loss of function.  RA is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system, which normally defends the body, turns on it and attacks the synovium, the membrane lining of the joints, well as the tissue around the joint and even the bone itself. It can also attack the organs.

Today there a nearly 30 million people with RA and 70% are women.  RA can appear at any age but it is most common between the age of 30 and 60.  There is no known cause of RA.  Many suspect infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, genetically inherited predisposition, environmental factors or hormones.

RA can go into remission and the symptoms; if you are in the early to middle stages almost disappear.  Then with no known reason it will become active and be as severe as it was before or even worse.  In the late or severe stages there is severe bone erosion and deformity of joints.

Joint damage can make it nearly impossible to do your normal activities.

It is very important when you have RA that you move your joints.  Even if a person has no medical problems at all, if they limit their joint range of motion, soon they will not be able to move that joint without pain.  This means that is twice as important for a person with RA to have appropriate stretches.

Understandably, with all of the concern and pain with the inflammation, secondary causes of pain associated with RA can be overlooked.  Many times there are other factors such as a tight muscle and/or restricted fascia that inhibit movement and cause pain.  Inflammation can affect the fascial system and bind it down with fascial adhesions.  These restrictions and adhesions close down the space in the joints, reducing movement even more.  These adhesions and restriction can be eliminated and greatly improve your movement.

Without removing the fascial adhesions or muscle and fascial restrictions before you try to exercise you will limit your progress, increase your pain and may even make your condition worse.

With the ReCAPS System™ we are able to reduce the muscle pull/compensation, fascial restrictions, reduce the inflammation and increase blood flow to the joints.