Acupressure..

BazG
BazG Member Posts: 1
in Living with arthritis

Hi.

My name's Barry and this is my first post here. I've had rheumatoid arthritis for around almost 15 years now. I'm on long term steroid use, which has caused osteoporosis, and I've been in a wheelchair for the last couple of years. I'm on anticoagulants (Apixiban) as I've previously suffered from blood clots and started on them after being treated for a PE in my lung. I've also got a blood disorder so I have to go for regular venessection.

Along with regular joint pain I've started to experience a lot of pain in my neck, shoulders and back. I've started using essential oils to try to combat this somewhat. Everything's a minefield though. For instance I once asked my consultant was turmeric ok to have. She said not with anticoagulants such as warfarin but it was ok with apixiban.

Anyway, I recently purchased an acupressure mat and pillow. I've only been using it for a few days so I'm not fully used to it yet. It's quite uncomfortable every time I lie on it, but after a few minutes I settle into it. I put on my essential oil diffuser and throw on some meditative music and it's been helping me relax and I have had some of the best nights sleep in a long time after using it. Normally I am awake half the night or sleep for an hour or two and I'm then awake again.

Anyway, I read an article yesterday that stated people with chronic conditions like RA or have coagulation disorders should not use acupressure mats which put me off using it yesterday. There is so much conflicting information out there, as I've also read stories from people with RA saying it helps with their condition. I need to ask my consultant but that's no easy feat..

Does anyone have any experience or advice with this?

Thanks in advance.

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