I'm wondering if anyone has tried anything holistic that helps with overall inflammation? Please let me know if you've found something that works for you. Also, does anyone have swollen or hot hands from Sjogrens? Thank you!!
Holistic in the sense of trying to replace modern medicine or in the sense of going at this disease from multiple directions?
if you are referring to the "holistic" and full body approach with modern western medicine; i think there are lots of "holistic" items/programs/advice out there- several of which we do that we may not even consder are labeled as hollistic...
just some thoughts- as with anything- always consult your healthcare professionals-
there are some good articles on Experience (diet, herbs,acupuncture, and energy work, low gentle work-outs-etc)
My rhuemmy actively supports:
- To reduce inflammation, increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating more Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines, walnuts, purslane and other leafy greens as well as freshly ground flaxseeds.
- Include ginger and turmeric in meals for their natural anti-inflammatory effects. *escpecially Tumeric- he has me on it daily, with Vit D
- Yoga- for strength and stretching to reduce pain
Another item that i have been drawn to, and actively do- is DRY BODY BRUSHING and LYMPH NODE MASSAGE.
For myself I find the 2 above most helpful in addition to my medication regimine and life-style regimine.
Don't get me wrong- there are days when nothing "helps", but as patients we must seek to be our own advocates and our own reseach/education specialist.
*one last thing-- SLEEP & REST; that is MAJOR. It is looked at both medically and holistically as a large piece of the puzzle for those of us with these struggles.
You can search "natural cures for SS" and you will get so many results also. {more things like oils, dry mouth remedies, natural pain relief etc} I have found several EXCELLENT books on Amazon and at barnes and noble.
Hope this helps.
I would add the addendum to check out sources you find on the internet. There are a lot of groups that do prey on people who are hurting and searching for help. That being said, Lisa made some excellent points. My doc and my team as a whole has me on supplements that work for my conditions and they do help. I find that when I avoid heavily processed foods, etc I also feel a great deal better overall and I bounce back from bad days faster.
I also do yoga, walk or get on the elliptical and light workouts. They really do help a great deal. We definitely are a collection of interconnected systems so its worth it to try diet, exercise, etc. Also, it helps to take it slow enough to know what works for you and what doesn't….such as adding or subtracting one food at a time. Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going.
Total agreement.
Thank you both for your replies! Yes, by holistic, I just meant anything natural or dietary that can help. I know this varies individually, so I’m trying to see what may work for me. I am currently not on any meds, but have a prescription for Plaqenil if I need to start it. I’m finding that SS affects so much more than the moisture producing glands. My joints ache and the fatigue is sometimes unbearable. I am very athletic but could only do one ski day with my family - my legs were in so much pain the next day. Thanks for your advice. I am definitely going to try some yoga and your food suggestions - much, much appreciated! Sleep is hard with young kids and a full time job, but I agree that it is critical. Thank you again!
Plaquenil is largely to help with the fatigue and somewhat for the joint aches. I was one of those people that had severe fatigue to the point that I would barely make it home from work and pass out hard on the couch. I would lose hours and it scared the daylights out of my son at times. That is a very rare occurrence now, thankfully. It used to be daily if I was flared up. It also helped shorten the duration of flairs as far as the worst of the pain was concerned. Keep in mind that it take a few months to start having a noticeable effect. I recently returned to the martial arts also so I'd say the stuff helps. LOL. I have been on it for a couple years now.
I can see where having to deal with this with young ones in the house would be really tough. We are always here to vent to also. LOL
I also have very swollen and hot hands. There have been evenings when I have sat on the couch with my hands soaking in bowls of ice water. And the joint pain is crazy too. I exercise regularly - twice a week for an hour at a great cross training class - but I feel like 72 instead of 52. When I sit on the couch at the end of the day and have to get to go to the bathroom, I have a hard time getting up and I feel like my joints have frozen while I was sitting. I am thinking of checking out acupuncture.
Totally know the feeling. I can say that thankfully, I only feel like that when I am very flared up versus all of the time like it used to be. Lately though, simple stairs feel like Mt Everest. Can't wait till this flair is over.
These are great suggestions. I will look into these also as well as I am using some essential oils and trying dietary changes. Thanks
I think you are lucky to have “a team approach” with your doctors. I feel that is part of what is missing from my treatment. I have a rhuemy, a neurologist, and a family practice doctor at the moment. They all help me, but the lack of sharing info between them is frustrating for me. I have considered talking to all of them about a way of sharing the info between all of them, which they can kind of do now through the websites that the clinics and hospitals in my insurance network use, but it is still not the same as a team approach. I am curious, when you say “team approach”, do you mean you see all these dr’s at the same time, or do they just share your records with each other?