Not all cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD) are the same.
By Dibs Baer
Faking your arthritis? Yeah, right. “If anything, we fake being well.”
People with arthritis share their best tips and tricks for getting through morning stiffness and pain and starting the day right.
Many patients hope to be able to stop medication once they enter remission. Ongoing research can provide some clues as to who can do so successfully.
By CreakyStaff
For Arthritis Awareness Month, we asked the CreakyJoints community to share their ‘As Not Seen on TV’ moments — what daily life with arthritis is really like.
When rheumatoid arthritis affects your blood vessels and makes them inflamed, it’s a condition known as rheumatoid vasculitis.
If you have wrist pain, you might wonder which could be the culprit. Here’s what you need to know.
Pain in your buttocks may be due to arthritis — here are the clues to look out for.
You may never have heard of this increasingly common condition, but it’s important to understand what fatty liver disease is and how to prevent and treat it.
Eileen Davidson, 33, knows it’s not easy for others to understand what it’s like to live with rheumatoid arthritis. Here’s how she attempts to describe it.
By Tina Donvito
Certain types of arthritis are prone to this inflammation of the whole digit. Here’s how to deal with it.
Learn about how functional disability is often one of the early signs that you can have rheumatoid arthritis.
The everyday choices you make — like how active you are and how you handle stress and fatigue — affect your joints. Here’s how to make sure you might not unknowingly be making things worse.
By Tina Donvito
Applying for an accessible parking placard is a practical as well as emotional decision.
Ever wish a podiatrist could take you shoe shopping? This is a close second.
Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood is short on red blood cells or hemoglobin — an iron-rich protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. With your...
By Dibs Baer
No more infusion confusion.
Doctors might be able to use this simple office test to predict whose knee OA may need more serious treatment.
Painsomnia is real, but this advice can help you start sleeping well again.
You might think of dry eyes or a parched mouth, but there are other subtle signs of Sjogren’s disease (formerly syndrome) you may be ignoring.
By Susan Ince
From tests to detect silent hepatitis to checking cholesterol and blood sugar, these are critical to make sure you stay healthy while using biologic drugs.
Should you take statins to help reduce your heart disease risk if you have RA? Here’s what a new study says about it.
By Tina Donvito
Some people want to get away from brutal winters; for others, high humidity is the enemy. Here’s what science and arthritis patients themselves say about how weather may impact disease.
Anti-CCP antibodies might affect bone metabolism in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
If you’ve never made yourself a ‘hot pocket’ with two heated blankets, you’re missing out.
It can be a big adjustment to give yourself injections. These tips can make the process less scary.
By CreakyStaff
For patients, remission often means more function and less pain. Here’s what else you need to know.
Learn more about Evenity, a new medication that may help prevent fractures in high-risk patients.
Inflammation, medication, and inactivity from arthritis all play a role in raising osteoporosis risk.
By Nicole Kwan
A chronic low-grade fever can be an early — and surprising — clue for RA.
You’ve probably heard that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of certain health problems, including heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Studies have similarly suggested that a few drinks a week might cut your chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and that...
Here’s why GI issues are so common among arthritis patients — and what you can do about it.
Physical therapy can be an important part of treatment for many people with arthritis. Here’s the advice PTs wish they could give everyone.
The prep for a colonoscopy is often worse than the procedure. Here’s how to make it more tolerable.
Inflammation from arthritis can take a toll on your kidneys. Here’s what you need to know to avoid kidney disease.
Brothers and sisters of people with seropositive RA had a significantly higher-than-average risk of developing acute coronary syndrome.
Some women call the combination a nightmare. Here’s how to prepare for how menopause could affect your RA management.
A new study found that chronic opioid use among people with RA doubled between 2002 and 2015.
This chest pain isn’t uncommon when you have arthritis.
Take a step in the right direction with these tips for finding the best shoes to wear if you have arthritis.
Learn more about how the Vectra blood test can predict RA disease progression.
Almost half of patients had major improvements in their disease activity compared to only 7 percent of those given a placebo.
By Susan Ince
Whether a rheumatologist has been your partner in health for years or you’re pondering seeing one for the first time, here’s some things to know about these quite special specialists.
Having both RA and PTSD means more systemic inflammation.
Learn more about the role of COX-2 inhibitors in heart valve calcification — and what it could mean for you.
The FDA is expected to rule on upadacitinib by the end of this summer.
By Tina Donvito
When other treatments aren’t working, see if these shots to relieve the painful symptoms of knee osteoarthritis may be right for you.
By Dibs Baer
Whether it’s seeing a world wonder or getting a handicapped parking permit, accomplishments feel even more proud when you have a chronic illness.
You’ve likely heard that carrying around excess pounds can make rheumatoid arthritis (RA) worse, but how do you know if you’re too heavy? The usual shortcut to determining whether someone is overweight is to rely on body mass index (BMI),...
Lack of time at the doctor’s office may be a big reason for the knowledge gap.
By Susan Ince
This supplement can help minimize many bothersome side effects from MTX.
If you stop too soon you could end up having a flare. If you stop too close to surgery, you might be leaving yourself extra vulnerable to developing a surgical-related infection.
Rheumatology nurses are a wealth of information, both practical and medical. Time to take advantage of it.
The gout drug is now approved for use only in patients who try allopurinol first.
By
It’s a key part of the doctor-patient relationship, but too many patients and doctors aren’t using this process regularly.
By Dibs Baer
Here’s why Amazon Prime and butt wipes should be part of your arthritis management toolkit.
A new study found little overall difference in infection rates, but here’s one thing to ask your doctor about.
If you’re among them, you should talk to your doctor about medication and lifestyle changes to lower your BP.
These pain-soothing tips from doctors and fellow patients may help you find new solutions for your arthritis symptoms.
This is reassuring.
Keeping track of antibody levels like rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP may not be that important, research shows.
By Susan Ince
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause a range of skin symptoms, but skin problems could also indicate you have a different kind of arthritis to begin with.
“I asked my husband to take me to the emergency room because the pain was so bad that I felt like I was being stabbed.”
By Tina Donvito
Here’s how to know when it’s time to invest in canes or other assistive device to manage arthritis pain.
Some are available over the counter; some by prescription only. Here’s how your doctor thinks through which NSAID is best for your health needs.
Just because some kinds of NSAIDs are available over the counter doesn’t mean they don’t have important side effects to be aware of.
By Susan Ince
Must arthritis mean the end to happy hour? The short answer: Probably not.
Rates of prescription opioid use among chronic pain patients use should be similar across the country. But it’s not, according to a recent study.
Raynaud’s disease is common among people with arthritis and rheumatic disease. Here’s what you need to know about it.
By Tina Donvito
For some patients, this procedure has vastly improved their chronic pain.
Could the same bacteria that causes gum disease also be involved in triggering RA?
You’re gonna want to start using these ASAP.
You might want to ask your rheum about this at your next visit.
You can treat your arthritis pain topically, but follow these steps to use the right product for you.
Just having RA means your heart attack risk is as much as 68 percent higher than it is for someone without it.
The benefit was especially strong for people who started antidepressants after they were diagnosed with IBD.
Many people, including those with rheumatologic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, take corticosteroid medications such as prednisone. Some use these drugs for a short time during a flare, but in certain cases the drugs are needed for an extended...
By Dibs Baer
This doctor-patient relationship has a huge impact on your well-being. Make sure it’s a good one.
Don’t be surprised if your doctor looks to test you for a penicillin allergy before they recommend a different class of antibiotics.
This news about biosimilar switching safety could alleviate patient concerns.
“It’s hard to plan for my life when no one will tell me the hard truth.”
If you get frequent gout attacks or have evidence that the disease has caused a visible buildup of uric acid crystals (tophi), then your doctor has likely recommended taking a preventive gout medication to protect your joints. Two options —...
By CreakyStaff
Raise your hand if you dread laundry day. Or if the thought of scrubbing your bathtub makes you feel anxious. When you have osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis, the daily and weekly chores everyone finds annoying can feel even more burdensome,...
By Tina Donvito
If you live with the chronic pain of arthritis, you’d do just about anything to get pain relief. The CDC reports that one in four people with arthritis experiences severe joint pain, and nearly half of those with arthritis have...
Corticosteroid injections can help relieve both inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. Find out more if they’re a good pain relief option for you.
A new study compared infection risks among different biologics for RA — and Orencia came out ahead.
This is important news for doctors and patients to know about.
Between slippery sidewalks, aching joints, and colds and flu, winter is rough on arthritis. These tips can help you stay healthy and safe.
Rheumatoid nodules are becoming less prevalent, but here’s what you need to know about what causes them and how to treat them.
Reports of pain were similar between the drug and a placebo after four months.
New research sheds light on more ways to manage the opioid epidemic.
OTs can help you live with less pain and disruption to your daily routine. Here are their tips for living better with arthritis.
By Dibs Baer
Dibs Baer once made a New Year’s resolution that transformed her health. Here are the healthy life goals she’s looking to set now.
Quit these habits and you’ll be a lot healthier — and happier.
This newer biologic may be safer and more effective than older and more commonly prescribed drugs.
Have you ever tried getting out of bed without putting any weight on your hands or holding on to anything? It’s harder than you think.
If you only pay attention to current symptoms and disease activity, you might not be getting enough treatment that’s aggressive enough to protect your health in the future.
By Tina Donvito
If you’ve got arthritis, you’ve probably experienced the intense pain of flares. Here’s how to handle them.
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