Promoting Healthy Lifestyles Through Social Media
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, can help rheumatologists promote their practices, share information with patients on new research and treatments, and offer tips on safe exercises for arthritis patients to perform and ways to manage flares.
Ms. Bednarek also handles social media for Low Country Rheumatology and regularly posts information on the practice’s Facebook and Instagram pages about how to get started on a weight loss plan, healthy eating tips and recipes, advocacy events related to rheumatic conditions and how patients can get involved, physical activity tips and workouts, and connecting with others who have rheumatic disease.
Offering Options, Empowering Patients
“Patients today are more educated and often want more than just a prescription for pain medication,” Ms. Wiesel says. “They want to know about all available options to help them feel more in control of their disease, such as exercise. We have one physician who writes prescriptions for ‘swimming, twice weekly.’”
Ms. Wiesel says patients often ask about alternative therapies, such as massage, meditation and exercise, and whether they may benefit their condition.
“Patients often explore alternative therapies on their own before discussing it with their rheumatologist,” Ms. Wiesel says. “As health educators, we can field these types of calls for doctors and educate patients on the potential benefits or consequences of these treatments.”
Health educators can ask patients about the outcome they hope to achieve with an alternative approach and educate patients about their options, focusing on how alternative therapies may complement traditional medicine, but shouldn’t be used to replace medication.
Helping Patients Better Manage Their Conditions
According to Ms. Ologhobo, participants in health education classes have reported better physical function, less fatigue, and reduced pain and stiffness.
“What they learn in class complements their treatment plan. In our exercise classes, patients learn how to move correctly so as not to exacerbate their pain and also how to maintain an exercise regimen at home. They learn they don’t have to rely solely on pain medications to control their rheumatic disease,” she says.
According to Ms. Ologhobo, another bonus of the health education exercise classes is that the instructors are familiar with arthritis. “They can work with individual patients to suggest ways to move that don’t impact their affected joints,” she says.
“As health educators, we look at each patient holistically and implement tailored strategies to help them to live better with arthritis,” Ms. Ologhobo concludes.
