Ariane Gratton-Jacob

September 5, 2006

It’s the morning of my 28th birthday. Nice gift, I wake up with a swollen knee. Two months later, the other knee inflates in turn. Then it’s my jaw. I can hardly chew the thinnest cucumber slices. Multiple tests and blood work tell me that I have rheumatoid arthritis. This diagnosis is, for me, a tragedy… I made a living from dancing, I loved getting around by bike, summer and winter.

I first followed the path of classical medicine: puncture in the knee, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-rheumatic drugs (salazopyrine) and, finally, methotrexate, a powerful immunosuppressant. Although the doses and potency of the substances taken increased over the months, my condition continued to deteriorate. The side effects of drugs have accumulated: fatigue, nausea, dizziness, digestive disorders, depression, tinnitus …

A precious help: complementary medicine

Fortunately, from the start, I looked for so-called complementary approaches. Despite my precarious financial situation, I decided to pay for some of these treatments not reimbursed by the state. Today, I do not regret anything. It was an investment that could not be more profitable.

During the 18 months that lasted most of my crisis, I was therefore treated by a physiotherapist, an acupuncturist, an osteopath, a chiropractor, a Bowen technique therapist and, above all, I undertook a process in naturopathy. All of these approaches have given me something positive, some more decisively than others because that’s what I needed the most.

Acupuncture and osteopathy have helped me regain mobility in the joints. How many times have I got up from the treatment table with my knees unfolding more than when I arrived? Not to mention the energy that circulated better throughout my body.

Chiropractic, more precisely the NUCCA technique (an adjustment of the first cervical vertebra, without creaking or twisting), has been shown to be beneficial for my general condition and the treatment of my jaw pain. I felt the pain go down a notch from my first treatment. A few weeks later, I was biting into an apple again, painlessly. What a delight!

Regain his power

As for physiotherapy, it allowed me to discover different exercise and stretching routines that make my pain disappear or decrease for several hours. When I manage to do my little gymnastics regularly, my body and mind are at least twice as good. My toned muscles support my joints better, which are less painful.

These gentle and adapted exercises are at the heart of my healing process. I feel I have power over my well-being. I no longer feel like a victim.

Another of my essential encounters was the one with “my” naturopath. Using a food diary, we analyzed what I was eating and detected which foods were exacerbating my symptoms. I gradually eliminated several foods that I ate regularly: dairy products, gluten, nuts, sugar, chocolate, tea, certain fruits and vegetables, etc. Today, when I deviate from my new diet, I feel the effects: my pain increases. But the more time passes, the more I recover, the less my reaction is when I “cheat”.

I consume herbal teas from medicinal plants (nettle and oats) and natural products: herbal anti-inflammatories, glucosamine, omega-3, vitamin C, calcium and an immunomodulator. Thanks to this, as well as all the other changes in my life (exercise, diet, etc.), I gradually eliminated the methotrexate, which was causing side effects.

No recipe!

I also had to “clean up” my life, and take stock of some painful events in my past. I sincerely believe that my arthritis attack had to be used to make these necessary changes. I feel better now than 5 years ago… although at that time I didn’t have arthritis.

My approach is not a miracle recipe for a cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, that does not exist. It’s up to everyone to hear what the body is asking for and to rebalance their life. It’s up to everyone to find what relieves them. But, in my opinion, so-called alternative medicines have a lot to contribute.