Can the Mediterranean Diet Help Your RA? A Famer’s Market Tour with The Arthritis Dietitian
Could your rheumatoid arthritis (RA) respond to diet? The research jury is out on most except the Mediterranean diet, also called the anti-inflammatory diet. Filled with colorful vegetables, pulses (beans and lentils), and healthy fats, this way of eating isn’t just good for your body, it’s a feast for the eyes, as well. Join…
Two Kinds of RA Pain and How to Cope
Pain is often one of the first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may continue to play a leading role in your life with this condition. When you have RA, there are two general causes of pain: one is active RA inflammation and the other RA damage. I’ll take a look at both, as well…
At-Home RA Test Could Be a Quicker Path to Treatment
One of the biggest challenges in having rheumatoid arthritis is simply getting diagnosed. In my new article for HealthCentral, I look at the pros and cons of a new at-home diagnostic test for RA: “Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience difficulties in getting a diagnosis. The lag between first appearance of symptoms and the…
What You Need to Know About RA and Osteoporosis
RA comes with an increased risk for other medical conditions. One of these is osteoporosis. In my new article for HealthCentral, I take a closer look at risk factors and prevention: “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), steroids, a sedentary lifestyle, being low on vitamin D — these all are risk factors for developing osteoporosis and may be…
Could Vagus Nerve Stimulation Cure RA?
A new drug-free treatment holds promise for RA. I investigate in my new artcile for HealthCentral: ““Vagus nerve stimulation cures rheumatoid arthritis!” You may have seen this statement in multiple places over the past few years, but is it true? Can rheumatoid arthritis (RA) really be cured by stimulating a nerve in your neck? To…
Your Life with RA Is On Sale!
It’s January, a month famous — infamous? — for being full of resolutions and decisions to take charge of your life. My Amazon Bestseller Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain is your perfect partner in the quest to become empowered and put yourself in the driver’s seat with…
6 Tips for Setting (and Working Towards) Goals Despite the Unpredictability of Chronic Illness
“That’s why you should never make plans,” she said. “You never know what might happen.” I used to be in that place. It’s a place where you are afraid of planning anything, because of the unpredictability of chronic illness. If you never know how you’ll feel tomorrow, even in an hour from now, forcing you…
New Tool Offers Side-by-Side Comparison of RA Medications
Finding the right rheumatoid arthritis medication for you, one that has benefits, with the tall pro level of side effects, is a trial and error process. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a tool that can tell us what life on a particular medication would be like? I recently interviewed a rheumatologist who is…
Exercise with Severe RA: Starting the Day with a Dance
I’ve been thinking about exercise. Partly because it’s spring — well, currently waffling back and forth between spring and Springter in Toronto — and partly because I’ve had yet another health professional talk earnestly at me about moving my body. In response to which I pointed out, as I have so many of the times…
A Problem & A New Vision for RA Pain Treatment
Updated August 30, 2020 “The type of pain associated with moderate-severe RA is comparable to bone cancer.” This is a quote from a HealthCentral article, now alas no longer on the site. The source of the quote was a rheumatologist treating the woman interviewed. And it has been reverberating in my mind since I first…
Real RA: Talking with Your Hands
Updated May 2, 2021 There is a legend in my father’s family. A long, long time ago, a Spanish mercenary supposedly had his way with a female ancestor. Equally supposedly, this explains why families with two children always have one with dark hair and one with blonde hair. Writing it down like that makes it…