Major Rheumatoid Arthritis Myths
Posted on October 14th, 2008 by Aud under Diet & Nutrition, Exercise, Family, Medications, Natural Health, Osteo Arthritis, Pain Management, Rheumatoid ArthritisIf you're new here, subscribe to my RSS feed and follow along with my Aud life :)
I’ve come across some funny comments that people make when they learn I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, some comments are just simple while others I find more frustrating. So here are some myths to illuminate the facts.
Myth #1- Rheumatoid Arthritis can be cured.
Oh, how I wish this was true. Right now there is no known cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis. However there are a lot of successful treatments and procedures to slow it down and put the disease into remission, and increase the quality of life of a sufferer.
Myth #2- Rheumatoid Arthritis is an old person’s disease.
Some days I do feel like I’m 90 years old, but I’m only 33. RA can strike at any age. Children, young adults and middle aged people can be affected, and this condition doesn’t care whether you’re male or female.
Myth #3- “You felt fine yesterday, why are you feeling so terrible today?”
This is one of the frustrating myths. Although sometimes I do get a bit of a warning when a flare is going to hit, but that doesn’t happen all the time. Some mornings I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck!! I may feel tired and achey, or in a lot of pain. No real explanation other than RA involves periods of flare ups and remission, and you roll with the punches.
Myth #4- Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by the wet cold.
While I am personally affected by the weather, not all other sufferers experience the same thing and the cold and wet not the cause of the onset of the disease. Pain is caused from inflammation and the deterioration of cartilage in the joint. For me, warm baths, and other heat sources are very soothing for sore joints, and I feel pretty good when the climate is warm and dry.
Myth #5- Rheumatoid Arthritis only consists of minor aches and pains.
Yeah, another frustrating myth. I hate those commercials that say “Pop a couple aspirin or Advil and all your arthritis pain will be gone!” I’d love to scatter their chickens! All arthritis sufferers know that this is a crock of….(you fill in the blank)! RA hurts and it hurts a lot, and it’s more than aspirin, extra strength Tylenol or Aleve can handle. A regimen of diet, exercise, supplements and other medications is usually the best way to overcome RA pain.
Myth #6- Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by poor diet.
Sure, I believe that diet greatly affects a Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer’s life, but it’s not the cause of the disease. I feel that the digestive system plays a major roll in the immune systems function and since RA is an autoimmune disease, I like to keep an eye on what I’m putting into my body, and I keep track on how I feel after I eat something, especially if I’ve never had it before or haven’t had it in a long time.
Myth #7- “If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis you can’t do…..”
Wow, not something to say to a stubborn person! There are some things I’m not able to do, and some things I probably shouldn’t do, but most are because I’m a woman, not that strong, and I’m an incredible klutz. A certain amount of help is likely to be required when fatigue and pain are at their worst, but some try to do too much for a sufferer and it can limit them. Certainly RA interferes with some physical activity but it doesn’t mean that someone becomes an invalid because of their diagnosis. Emotional and physical stimulation is an important part of Rheumatoid Arthritis treatment.
Have you come across some odd or absurd comments about Rheumatoid Arthritis? Share them! I’d love to hear them!
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Tags: arthrits myths, Rheumatoid Arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis myths, rheumatoid arthritis pain relief, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms
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hey wow i like your blog entry, yea them myths are anoying! the one that gets anoying is the Arhthritis is for old people!. BAH! i’ve had it 12 years now! and im 24!!!!….
and i knew people that had had it since 18 months…
does not stop you doing anything pretty much!.. I’m an artist, and drawing is painful at times, but i still do it!. and i carve a lot too which is also not a pain free thing.. its something you learn to live with, its like, i do not know what “normal” is.. i always would find it funny when Doctors would ask me how im doing since i last saw them, and well i would always be fine, as life becomes normal and you deal with it.. good days bad days.. etc.. but thats the same for everyone!.
I try not to tell people i have it though, as i try and be “normal” i’ve been off meds since 18.. but been getting a few pains recently.. not sure if i should go back on the meds or not…..i really do not want to! i hate the idea of it getting as bad as it once was though!… anyway i blabble on!! grrr…
Hey Mark,
Thanks a bunch for your comment! Glad to see I’m not the only one affected by the ‘myths’!
~Audrey
BY THE WAY- for everyone else… check out his guy’s site…his art is amazing! http://www.markandrewwebber.com
My favorite, which goes along with the diet myth, is when my friends start listing foods people with arthritis should never eat, they say it very slowly as if I am writing it down: nightshade foods, citrus, dairy, etc. Most people don’t understand that the word arthritis is a broad umbrella, but that the auto immune disease isn’t necessarily the same as, say, osteoarthritis, for which the food-avoidance list was created. That said, I have found that tomatoes and potatoes do trigger reactions within me, but not always. Citrus actually helps, I think because of the antioxidants. And, yes, the medications cause digestive problems, for which supplements do help. My well-meaning friends are always asking if I’m trying to treat the RA alternatively. I don’t know about you, but in my experience there is very little that helps in the long-term except fish oil (although I’ve never been able to stomach 2 grams a days, much less the recommended 10!) and progesterone cream, which helps with fatique and pain. No one talks about hormones, but I think there’s something to the fact that most women come down with RA after a hormonal event like pregnancy or menopause. The other thing that really, really helps is mild exercise. For me, it’s water aerobics. I invested in a wooden hydrotherapy tub for that purpose and it has been a God send. The water acts as resistance for toning, yet protects the joints, and moves the pain through.
Wow, guess I had a lot to say.
Kathryn,
Well thank you very much for your input! It makes me laugh when people who don’t have arthritis try to give me advice as well! I just smile and nod, thinking, “Do you think I’m an idiot? That I haven’t tried or researched this yet?”
I totally agree with the hormone research about menopause and pregnancy- there’s definitely something there!
Keep up with the water aerobics! I don’t where I would be if I didn’t get very good exercise daily, I do know my legs woudn’t look this great though!!
Feel free to share anytime, I love it!
~Audrey
I was once in the same position where I did not understand anything about this disease even to the point of being accused of being insensitive.
I now have this blo-dy thing and fully understand what one goes through to find some relief.
Good article Aud.
Having a chronic condition like this not only gives you a new perspective on RA but other diseases that people suffer with too!
It has certainly enabled me with more empathy and compassion!
Thanks again Stephen,
~Audrey
hello! yes I too get annoyed when I am told I shouldn’t or couldn’t do something. Then I point out that I am one of the most able people I know, I am 32, single mum of 2 young children and a full time university student. I have had RA for a couple of years and have flare ups every now and then and am finally finding the balance of rest and exercise which is crucial in coping with this. Love your articles Audrey.
You Rock Cara!!!
Sounds like you should be writing a blog, you’re my new hero!
Thanks a bunch!
~Audrey
I’ve had RA for a year and a half and in a few days I’ll be 28… When I was originally diagnosed I didn’t have this pain that is in my body and all over my legs, knees, back and neck, I just had some pain in my hands. So I decided (w/help of my mother to not take any meds). This was a BAD mistake.
What really frustrates me is when people tell me that I should try and treat my RA with alternative medicine! I don’t know about any of you, but I have never felt pain so bad in my entire life, I mean it is sobering and raw. And I understand now what the difference is between REAL medicine and some woowoo made up holistic @#$% that some magician is trying to sell. So I don’t know how to tell my friends/family that “they cannot be serious and arthritis is not RA and meditation is not going to cure me”…
I was also blamed by my family for getting RA because I had decided to have a ~95% Vegan diet about 2.5 yrs ago… I still try and maintain it, but I’ve cut out fats more then meats now.
I don’t think the diet has anything to do with RA, but I do think that everyone’s body works differently and an autoimmune disease like RA is so particular to each person that maybe some foods (like chocolates make people break out) does effect each person differently.
I wish everyone well and I hope you wake up in the mornings with less and less pain
-Nune-
hi
its great what youve done ,is there any way having the main refrences where youve got this informations from please ?
hi ,thx for all the information they are so intresting !
is there any chance to have refrences of where you have got these informations from ??please