QuestionHello Dr. Saleeby,
I'm writing for Arthritis Today Magazine - KILLER DEADLINE. Need answer ASAP, SORRY!
QUESTION - How important is it for people to avoid psychological stress in order to avoid flare-ups of arthritis or related conditions?
Please provide your contact info and titles for editorial follow-up if necessary.
THANK YOU
AnswerSherry,
As you are aware there are different types of Arthritis, from Osteoarthritis to Gouty Arthritis to the Rheumatological arthritis. It may be a question of which comes first (chicken or egg question)... does arthritis cause stress (very often yes) or does stress cause a flare-up in arthritis. In once study (reference below) minor psychological stress induced rheumatoid arthritis flare ups. This is just one study and may not reflect globally on other types of arthritis. Rheumatism seems to be especially exacerbated by "stress" than say gout or osteoarthritis in the short term.
If you use my response please site (or quote) me as the source. This is appreciated.
Reference:
Thomason, Bradley T., Phillip J. Brantley, Glenn N. Jones, Herbert R. Dyer and Jed L. Morris, "The relation between stress and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis",
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
ISSN 0160-7715 (Print)
Issue Volume 15, Number 2 / April, 1992
DOI 10.1007/BF00848326
Pages 215-220
Abstract: This study investigated the relation between stress and current disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During a routine clinic appointment, subjects were given ratings of global disease status by their physicians and completed self-report measures of major stress and minor stress. In addition, each subject's erythrocyte sedimentation rate was taken. After controlling for disease severity and major stress, minor stress accounted for a significant amount of the variance in inflammation level. These results suggest that minor stress is associated with current disease activity in RA.
Best,
JP Saleeby, MD
Medical Director ED
Marlboro Park Hospital
Bennettsville, SC
www.saleeby.net
(800) 965-8482
