Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

I’m already well aware of the medical side of things, so I don't need a lecture on the science. What I’m really looking for is a glimpse into what life is actually like on a day-to-day basis.
How are you all managing? What does your quality of life look like right now?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from the younger crowd dealing with this diagnosis.
What works for you? How do you tackle the symptoms, and what kind of precautions are you taking to stay safe?

Thanks in advance for sharing.

I'm asking because a family member is going through this.😢

My mom is dealing with an incredibly brutal case of rheumatoid arthritis; it’s been progressive since her college years. We’re talking full-blown disability... honestly, it's hard to put into words. In the early stages, we cycled through a million different therapies and saw countless specialists, but nothing actually worked. It just kept advancing until it basically ravaged her entire skeletal system. 😢

I don't have any firsthand experience from my own family or close friends, but I’ve seen plenty of people deal with this illness over the years. From what I've observed, you can't just let the disease take over your life. You have to stay active every single day and fight against that feeling of hopelessness or falling into depression.

Keeping a positive mindset is absolutely huge. Sometimes, the progression is much milder, and it doesn't lead to disability—or at least, it doesn't hit that point within the first twenty years...

My neighbor is actually living with rheumatoid arthritis. He’s only 40, yet you’d never know it—he lives such an incredibly active life! He’s constantly moving, whether he’s hitting the pool for some laps, scaling rock faces in the Rockies, or playing volleyball with his buddies... oh, and he actually quit smoking quite recently, too.
He told me that back when he first got the diagnosis—which was when he was just a kid, maybe nine or ten years old—he simply made up his mind right then and there to fight it with everything he had. Honestly, I have so much respect for his grit.

Is there an actual support group or organization for people living with RA?
Thanks for the glimmer of hope, nimbledriver81.🙂

I’ve heard of this one:
www.rheumatology.org

But honestly, I’m not really sure if there’s anything specifically tailored for RA... I just don't know...

I'll check it out, thanks!

My mom works at a preschool, and she mentioned that one of the three-year-olds there has rheumatoid arthritis—I'm not even 100% sure if it was one of her coworkers' kids. From what I recall, they’re getting treatment out in Washington, D.C. If you want, I can grab her number so you can reach out to the lady directly.

Best, from San Francisco

nimbledriver81 said:My neighbor lives with RA. He’s only 40 and stays incredibly active—swimming, rock climbing, volleyball, you name it. He also recently quit smoking.
He told me that when he was first diagnosed back when he was just 9 or 10, he simply decided he wasn't going to let the disease win. I really respect that mindset.

That's a great outlook... unfortunately, every case is different. It isn't just about age; how the disease progresses varies wildly from person to person. Some people face much harder battles than others. That story is just one example.

My mother deals with a very severe case of rheumatoid arthritis that started back during her college years. She's disabled now... there isn't much more to say. In the beginning, we went through endless doctors and countless treatments, but nothing worked. The condition just kept progressing and eventually caused significant damage to her joints.

👋
🙂 😉 😎

And then I just slap some emojis on a text like that

Larry Lewis2 said:And then they just hit me with emojis after a text like that.

Please, no replacements. Those emojis are my "trademark."

Forgive me, this subject hits a bit too close to home, so I tend to jump in whenever it comes up, even when it’s probably not the best time.
Thanks for sharing this.
I was really holding out hope that we’d see a few more positive stories in here.😢

Hey everyone, does anyone else here deal with arthritis? I’m trying to figure out if there are actually any real ways to heal this thing... my joints keep cramping up, and the pain just seems to wander all over the place, moving from one spot to another...

Old-school home remedies suggest rubbing peanut oil on the painful area first thing in the morning and again right before you hit the hay. You’ve got to let it soak in for about 20 minutes. If it works like they say, you should start feeling some relief after roughly five days.

Yeah, we use a ton of peanuts in our traditional home remedies. Honestly, thanks for the tip—you should go grab some out in the Rocky Mountains...

It really depends on which type of arthritis we're talking about; you've got osteoarthritis, and then there's the inflammatory stuff like rheumatoid arthritis.

As a rule, you can't fully cure either one. There are ways to manage the symptoms, though, and dealing with osteoarthritis is usually a lot less complicated...

There are actually specific yoga flows designed to release energy buildup in the joints for rheumatoid arthritis...

Betty Moore said:Does anyone else here deal with arthritis? Is there actually any way to cure it? My joints keep cramping up, and this pain just seems to wander all over the place...

I have rheumatoid arthritis myself.
You can't really "cure" it. It’s more like a lifelong companion you didn't ask for! There are definitely times when it flares up intensely and other times when it settles down.
For me, diet makes a huge difference. If I cut back on cheese and cream (plus, I can't handle dairy anyway) and limit grains like wheat, rice, or corn, I feel so much better immediately.
Since we were talking about peanut oil and it's autumn, my grandmother used to swear by wild chestnuts for aches and pains. You can gather a few pounds and tuck them under your mattress at night, or even make compresses. If you're really interested in trying that, let me know and I'll dig through some old recipe books for you!

Yoga is also wonderful in general. I practiced for a few years, though I'm struggling to get back into a regular routine lately.

Honestly, your best bet is to see a doctor. I personally rely most on modern medicine. Everything else—the yoga, the chestnut remedies, the diet changes—is just a little extra support alongside professional treatment.

Casey Palmer5 said:Yeah, sure, there’s tons of peanuts in our traditional folk medicine too. Great advice—why don't you just go hike the Rocky Mountains instead.

And who exactly said this was "traditional medicine"? I was being sarcastic when I wrote that. If someone wants to try it, go ahead. I don't think anyone has anything to lose. Obviously, it isn't a cure, but why not give it a shot if it might actually help ease someone's pain?

Matthew Thompson6 said:Somewhere it mentions this is part of our medical field? I wrote that with the best intentions. If anyone wants to try it, go ahead. I don't think there's much to lose. There isn't a miracle cure here, but why not give it a shot if it might ease someone's pain?

I know plenty of people who would carry a potato in their pocket if you told them it would help... and it actually works for them. Usually, it works for minor injuries that would have cleared up on their own anyway, since the body heals itself over time. But for rheumatoid arthritis, or even standard osteoarthritis... it’s barely helpful.
My experience spans 36 years. I've tried just about every alternative remedy and medication out there. Honestly, very little helps, aside from anti-inflammatories
tablets—which come with their own set of issues—or steroids for rheumatic issues and joint/musculoskeletal injuries.

The market is flooded with everything from Glucosamine and chondroitin to shark cartilage. I personally used the latter for over six months without any success. That doesn't mean it won't work for someone dealing with a minor issue, as mentioned earlier.

As I said, I've tried it all: chiropractors, naturopaths, acupuncture, TENS units, magnets, and I even owned an ultrasound machine.

Some conditions just don't offer much relief; sometimes you just need patience and to learn how to live with the illness.

Karen said:Hey everyone—does anyone else here deal with arthritis? And honestly, is there any actual way to cure it? My joints are cramping up, and the pain just keeps migrating all over the place...

It does.