Could moving from the city to the country and becoming more physically active improve the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis?

A story about a woman living in Blanchardville, Wisconsin who said her rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms improved after adopting a rural lifestyle quoted Christie Bartels, MD, MS, assistant professor, Rheumatology.

Diagnosed with RA at the age of 23, Kriss Marion reported experiencing debilitating symptoms while living in Chicago, Illinois as a journalist. Upon shifting to an active, rural lifestyle on a small farm and caring for livestock, Marion found that her disease was in remission and she no longer required medications.

Noting that remission is extremely rare for people living with RA, Dr. Bartels, who is not her doctor, commented.

"I would say her story is probably a bit exceptional in that most people require medications in partnership with good lifestyle, but it does speak to the fact that lifestyle really does matter and that partnering with our patients to help them have good diet habits, get good rest, good exercise, can really be a part of a healthy lifestyle in living well with chronic disease."

Dr. Bartels said that remission is extremely rare, and she doesn't recommend her patients discontinue their medication, but that in general exercise can be of value for people living with RA.

Resources:

• "IN FOCUS: Healing on the farm," NBC-15, October 20, 2017

Photo caption: An irrigation system waters corn plants growing in a farm field at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's West Madison Agricultural Research Station during summer on July 13, 2012 (file photo). Credit: Jeff Miller/UW-Madison