Control stress, aggression, and depression. The way you think and feel about your arthritis pain can actually make it worse. So can stress, anger, hostility, aggression, and depression. Luckily, you can reduce your pain just by reducing your stress levels and tapping into your natural potential for relaxation.In Chapter 14, you’ll learn all about positive thinking, biofeedback, controlling your breathing, laughter, prayer, and spirituality — all of which are effective ways of improving your mood, easing your pain, and making you feel better all over.
Organize your life for maximum efficiency. Studies have shown that people who actively manage their arthritis and find new ways to cope with physical problems feel less pain and fatigue.In Chapter 15, we give you helpful tips for managing arthritis on a day-to-day basis. Included are ideas for conserving your energy, getting a good night’s sleep, using assistive devices, making household chores easy, and holding on to your sex life. An occupational therapist and a home health caregiver can you offer valuable assistance with this.
Looking at alternative approaches
Because there isn’t any one magic bullet that cures arthritis, a great many people look for help from alternative approaches — either as a substitute for traditional medicine or as that “extra something” that may be exactly what they need.
In Chapters 16 through 19, we discuss the most popular alternative treatments for arthritis — from herbs to homeopathy, from acupuncture to reflexology, from aromatherapy to hydrotherapy. Included are sections describing the therapy, explaining what it can do for you, and tips on how to find a reputable practitioner.
STARGAZING: FAMOUS ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS
Does the idea of having arthritis make you feel like you may as well just give up? Well, many people have felt like this, but gone on to live productive and happy lives. Take a look at what these people have achieved while coping with arthritis:
Lucille Ball was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 17, but she went on to live a long and healthy life, enjoying a top-notch career in movies and TV and even running her own TV production studio, Desilu.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the famous French artist associated with the Impressionist movement developed RA in his late fifties but continued to paint, creating nearly 6,000 pictures during his lifetime, many of them great masterpieces.
Paula Abdul, singer, dancer, choreographer and former American Idol judge has both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Yet she recently perfomed for sold-out crowds in Las Vegas and continues to pursue her super fast-paced career. She credits her ability to live a happy, active life to regular workouts based on low-impact strength exercises and Zumba classes.
Carrie Ann Inaba, long-time judge on the popular TV show Dancing With the Stars has rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s, lupus and fibromyalgia. A strong believer in sharing her journey with others, she has a website dedicated to products and other solutions that have helped her cope with this potpourri of joint diseases.
Kathleen Turner, actress, Academy Award-nominee and winner of two Golden Globe awards was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1992. Although the disease temporarily torpedoed her career, she is now back on screen and working harder than ever. She credits twice-weekly Pilates classes to helping her regain her health.
Terry Bradshaw, quarterback for four-times Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers teams, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after pursuing a 14-year pro football career. When his medication caused weight gain, he realized how much he needed and wanted to exercise. He now keeps himself healthy and active, thanks to exercise, a positive attiutde, and an enthusiastc approach to each new day.
Tatum O’Neal, actress, Academy Award winner, and daughter of Ryan O’Neal was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 50 and has since undergone back surgery to improve her condition. She continues to take film and TV roles and credits a healthy lifestyle and Pilates with helping her live an active life.
Grandma Moses had arthritis in her hands at age 76 when she began painting the folksy, whimsical scenes of American life that made her famous. Despite her condition, she created hundreds of paintings, many of which can be found in major museums all over the world.
Kim Kardashian, American media personality, businesswoman, and star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2019 after experiencing pain and stiffness in her hands that made it almost impossible for her to pick up a toothbrush. Taking medication helped her immensely and she has said that she hopes her story will help others with autoimmune diseases realize there is “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Armed with a thorough knowledge of arthritis, how to control its symptoms, and all the many techniques you can use to manage this disease (all of which you’ll find in this book), you too can be well on your way to taking charge of your condition and getting on with your life!
Chapter 2
Osteoarthritis: The Most Common Form
IN THIS CHAPTER
Whether you call it osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is the painful result of cartilage breakdown. When the tough, rubbery substance that cushions bone ends no longer does its job, the bone ends can’t slide easily across each other within the joint. That’s when pain and stiffness can settle into a joint. Suddenly, your knee or lower back aches, your hip burns, a finger joint swells and throbs, or your shoulder stiffens up. You can’t bend and flex the painful joint like you used to; its range of movement is limited. Most of all, it just plain hurts!
But what happened to mess up your cartilage in the first place? To understand what went wrong, here’s a look at how things work in healthy cartilage.
Considering Cartilage
Healthy cartilage is absolutely essential for joints to function properly and painlessly. Slick as polished marble and tough as galvanized rubber, cartilage protects the ends of your bones from wearing each other away where they meet inside a joint. It also provides a smooth, slick surface so bone ends can