This section looks at the tools and techniques that can help you care for yourself, as well as the health-care professionals on your self-management team.
Your Move: Educate Yourself
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One of the best kinds of self-care is to stay informed and up to date on the most current health and wellness treatments and guidelines for your arthritis. Local arthritis or pain management support groups can provide information and introduce you to like-minded people going through the same experiences you are. Many national organizations offer […]
Ultrasounds: Not Just for Babies Any More
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Rheumatologists and other doctors who diagnose and treat arthritis and rheumatic diseases have a new helper: ultrasound. Most of us think of ultrasound in connection with obstetrics, as a means to visualize fetuses in utero, but it’s been used for many years to visualize different parts of the body. In the past 10 years, however, […]
National Arthritis Awareness Month
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In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially recognized what millions of people throughout the world already knew. That’s the year arthritis was officially identified as an important national health problem. Every year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes a list of National Health Observance Days: days or […]
Young People with Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Having rheumatoid arthritis is a challenge at any age, but adults in their late teens or early 20s face particular trials that older adults may not. Adapting to a chronic disease while leaving home, attending college, developing relationships, and starting a family and career can feel both daunting and unfair. Nevertheless, it definitely happens. According […]
When Men Get RA
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John is a 62-year-old Midwesterner with an easy smile and a gentle demeanor who looks much younger than his age. Married with a grown family, he owns and operates a metal fabricating company. As friendly as he presents, though, John avoids shaking hands in the traditional male way—he prefers the fist-bump, because “it doesn’t hurt.” […]
RA & Breast-feeding
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Whether you’re thinking about becoming pregnant, are well into your pregnancy, or are about to give birth, the question of whether to breast-feed has most likely crossed your mind. “Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can certainly breast-feed. Having RA doesn’t mean they don’t have the option. In fact, I’ve seen RA patients breast-feed up to […]
Osteoarthritis Update
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It has long been thought that osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by wear and tear on the joints as a person ages or by injury. However, newer research is suggesting that developing OA may also be related to factors such as inflammation, genetics, and obesity. “Our initial understanding about OA came about through the use of […]
RA in Young Adults: Social Relationships
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Jake Schufletowski, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, was just three years old when he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Now 25, he has learned a lot of lessons from growing up with this painful, chronic illness. “Be yourself,” advises Schufletowski. “Let life shape you as you experience new things. Go to college, move out on your own, […]
Managing Shoulder Arthritis
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Most people have heard of hip and knee arthritis, but when people develop pain and stiffness in their shoulders, they are more likely to think of other conditions. However, thousands of people experience the effects of shoulder arthritis every year. Arthritis typically involves the loss of cartilage at the ends of the bones that make […]
RA & Pregnancy
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Thinking about becoming a parent can be exciting and stressful for anyone, but for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), pregnancy can bring with it added concerns and worries. “Pregnancy should be a very enjoyable experience for someone. It’s a nodal point in their life, everything should go well as much as possible,” says perinatologist Robert […]
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