May is Arthritis Awareness Month – also known as Arthritis Action Month! Hopefully, you’ve been doing your part to spread awareness all month long. As a reminder, here are the ABCs & 123s of Arthritis, to show how you can take action now against arthritis during the month of May….and always! May 1: ADVOCATE! Let your elected … Continue reading
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Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Ashley's Health Diary / Awareness / Fibromyalgia / Juvenile Arthritis / Personal Stories / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness
The Inconvenient Truths About Life with Arthritis and Chronic Illness – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
I’ll admit it. I, like many of you, have, at times, grown weary of hearing, “You need to exercise. You need to eat well. You need to think positive thoughts. Sleep is important. You can’t give up,” and so on. But, I recently had a lot of health crises that led me to have a … Continue reading
Practice Good Posture to Reduce Arthritis Pain and Promote Joint Health – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
“Sit up straight!” “Put your shoulders back!” Your elders likely critiqued your posture when you were a youngster, but turned out, posture is important even for those of us who aren’t walking the runway or attending a fancy tea party. If you have any form of chronic pain or arthritis, using good posture is essential … Continue reading
Arthritis / Awareness / Fibromyalgia / Juvenile Arthritis / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness
The Importance of Range-of-Motion Exercises for Arthritis – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Sometimes, when arthritis is flaring, it is difficult for many of us to workout the way we’d like to. However, doing simple range-of-motion exercises is crucial for joint health. These types of stretches and exercises can be as gentle or as intense as you’d like them to be, and they are very important for keeping … Continue reading
Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Fibromyalgia / Juvenile Arthritis / Personal Stories / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness
Social Media for Support: E-Patients Using the Internet to Cope with Arthritis & Chronic Illness – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Support groups are a great way to cope with illness or disability. In today’s world, online support groups and social networks are a great way to belong to a health community where you can interact with others who “get” what you are going through. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and even Pinterest offer patients the chance to … Continue reading
Self Esteem, Body Image, and Chronic Illness – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Many of us who live with chronic illness – especially rheumatic and autoimmune illnesses, or conditions that cause chronic pain – can get frustrated at our body at times for seemingly working against us. However, there are other body issues that can come along with being chronically ill. Many medications cause appearance-related side effects: skin … Continue reading
The Juvenile Arthritis / Cancer Link – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Most of us are aware that there is a heightened risk for cancer if diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune diseases, because many of them “act” similarly at the cellular level. Additionally, certain medications may put RA patients at higher risk — but these same medications can ironically be used to treat cancer. “RA … Continue reading
Self-Defense with Arthritis or Disability – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Everyone is vulnerable to unexpected attacks or assault. Random acts of violence are committed all the time in our world, unfortunately, and so are home invasions and physical altercations. If we’re lucky, we’ll avoid these kinds of situations. However, it helps to be prepared in case of emergency. Are you a woman? Are you … Continue reading
Advocacy / Arthritis / Arthritis Foundation / Awareness / Fibromyalgia / Juvenile Arthritis / Types of Arthritis / Uncategorized / Wellness
Music Therapy for Chronic Pain – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
With the Grammy awards upon us and Whitney Houston’s recent passing, it seems appropriate to discuss the physiological effects of music on our bodies. Can music positively affect our perception of pain? Sure, we all love to sing our favorite song in the shower, rock out in the car or as we work out, or … Continue reading
Arthritis: Yet Another Reason to Quit Smoking – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health — it’s pretty much common knowledge at this point. Aside from cancer, emphysema, and dangers for pregnant women (not to mention the stench! The yellow teeth!) did you know that smoking can raise your risk of rheumatoid arthritis and also can trigger autoimmunity? Over the … Continue reading
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