Rheumatoid and Pickleball
I’ve entered a new exercise space in addition to my regular dance/zumba classes - pickleball!
I was concerned that playing a competitive sport might aggravate my joints, but my mantra for RA (mine is supposedly an aggressive form because I’m seropositive for anti-ccp and rheumatoid factor) is movement, movement, movement. For me, it works. I’m still medication-free. In January, I will have had RA for five years — no DMARDs. Hashimoto’s and scleroderma are still quiet within me. I have the blood markers for those diseases, but no symptoms.
When I first started playing pickleball, I had a few sore muscles, sorer than regular sore muscles. I took 1 Ibuprofen and that was all I needed. My hands were sore too. But the more I play, the better I feel. Pickleball also is good for sleep.
I’m still eating a whole-food diet, mostly plants, no dairy, no gluten, no refined sugar, no processed foods, yes, eggs and fish. I try to eat food as close to its natural state as possible. When I prepare food, I think about fueling my cells. I use interesting spices, and powders, such as Moringa and Baobab, both of which are anti-inflammatory. I’ve added popcorn to my diet - air popped - and that’s been great.
I’ve discovered a great new chocolate cake (brownie?) recipe. I love chocolate. I make it without the maple syrup. I guess we have to be careful about chocolate these days because some brands have lead and cadmium.
I’m so glad I didn’t rush to get on meds in the beginning, despite being in fierce pain. I don’t know why I feel great, but my working theory is I’ve trained my body to live in harmony with RA by keeping inflammation at a minimum. But, as I’ve always maintained, I will use meds if I need them, if the flares come and stay and don’t go away. RA meds suppress the immune system and I didn’t want to open myself up to infections by having a weak immune system. I didn’t want to open myself up to the toxic side effects of drugs. I often wonder if my slightly souped-up immune system is why I haven’t gotten COVID. I might just be one of those people who have immunity to COVID.
All I’m looking for is quality of life, and if you’re looking for new ways to move, I highly suggest pickleball. It’s easy to start, no major equipment buys, just a paddle and some balls. You can play relaxed or competitively. It’s easy to catch on. It’s the fastest-growing sport in the US. It’s fun like tennis, only played on a smaller court and all the rules are different. I’m still learning to play and getting my hands used to gripping a paddle and swatting a ball. For people with RA, a stronger grip is imperative. You don’t want to lose your hands. Use them or lose them.
But if you have an autoimmune disease and you’re not quite up to pickleball, start slow. Get rid of any other comorbidity, often that means getting to a healthy weight. Examine where you’re able to make changes in your life and make them. There are emotional and psychological components to dealing with disease too. Perhaps that’s the first thing to deal with. Pickleball, or any kind of activity, is great for your mind too. Our bodies are meant to move. The mind and body work off of each other.