The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

STILL’S DISEASE 507by over-working or by increasing physical or emotionalstress. Rest is important for the patient with Still’s diseaseand cannot be overemphasized.Planning by the patient with Still’s disease should be done ona yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis. For example, if thepatient is considering a vacation, the dates should be markedon a calendar well in advance so there is ample time to packand otherwise prepare for the trip. Patients who prepareimmediately before the trip may be too fatigued and sore toenjoy the trip, and may initiate a flare. Similarly, weeksshould be planned so that there are rest days interspersedwith work days. And even the hours of the day should beplanned so that after a period of physical activity, a period ofrest follows.Planning should also incorporate changes in body position.Patients should be encouraged to change their position frequentlyduring the course of the day. Ideally, positionchanges should occur at least every two hours. The patientwith Still’s disease who sits most of the day should periodicallyget up and walk around. The patient who stands mostof the day, should find some way to periodically sit and rest.It should be acknowledged by all involved that at some pointchanges in life style may need to be made.5. There is some evidence that emotional highs and lows playa part in exacerbation of Still’s.ENDNOTE:1 Cai Jian-cheng & Qian Guo-xin, “The Treatment of 14Cases of Still’s Disease with Wu Tou Tang (AconiteDecoction) with Added Flavors,” Zhe Jiang Zhong Yi Za Zhi(Zhejiang Journal of Chinese Medicine), #9, 2003, p. 381