Coping with Rheumatic Diseases

Journal/Book: Natur- und Ganzheitsmedizin Wissenschaft und Praxis. 1990; 3/9: 282-288.

Abstract: Psychologically coping with the consequences of chronic polyarthritis can be learned in special training programs. The changes in taking up contacts with the outside world, which are caused by the disease, parallel the chronification of the disability. Therefore, one aim of such a psychological training of how to cope with the disease - besides coping with pain - is an improvement of the relationship of the patient to himself and to his environment. The patient's attempts to strengthen his faculties to » oppose his disabilities« and to selfrehabilitate must be supported. Patients taking part in a training-program specially developed for patients suffering from rheumatic diseases showed much improvement in respect to the intensity of pain, depressions, activation and self-communication and self-confidence in contrast to a control group of patients treated in the conservative way. One problem that remains to be solved, however, is the stability of the improvements. In a follow-up phase of three months, a regressive tendency in most cases - even if it was less pronounced in the therapy group than in the control group - could be seen.

Keyword(s): chronische Polyarthritis

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