Reflecting on the Life and Legacy of Clark Middleton

The Arthritis Foundation lost a fierce friend and advocate with the passing of Clark Middleton on Oct. 4 at age 63. Actor Clark Middleton, of NBC’s “The Blacklist” and Showtime’s “Twin Peaks,” died on Oct. 4 in Los Angeles after contracting West Nile Virus, according to his wife Elissa. Throughout his life, Clark never let pain and disability limit how he saw himself. Clark was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis) when he was 4 years old. He had an estimated 14 surgeries over the years. Like adult-onset arthritis, the condition causes swelling and inflammation of the joints ...more

October Arthritis News Roundup

The Arthritis Foundation is your trusted source for information, and we’re staying on top of the latest arthritis-related news that could affect you. Here’s what you need to know about some of the headlines from this past month. CDC Expands Definition of COVID-19 Exposure From ‘Close Contact’ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines related to COVID-19 exposure, warning that the risk of multiple, brief, close contact encounters with others who are positive for COVID-10 can increase the risk of transmission. The CDC has cautioned against spending 15 minutes or longer in close proximity to an infected person, ...more

Paula Abdul’s Joyful Outlook Keeps Her Dancing Past the Pain

Paula Abdul dances with intensity, energy and joy, and sometimes with pain. Years of dancing that led to her rise to stardom also have led to osteoarthritis (OA). “I put my body through so much, doing choreography and putting my body into positions that aren’t normal, or jumping off of stages,” says Paula, who also has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Hard Knocks Adding to the strain on her body from her high-energy performances are injuries from several accidents over the years, including an incident during her Spellbound album tour in the early 1990s when the plane she was in dropped suddenly, she says. Without ...more

How a Toe Injury Gave Dr. Travis Stork Arthritis

Mornings are hard for Travis Stork, MD, the charismatic former host of The Doctors television talk show. He wakes up with pain and stiffness in his toes, knees, hips and spine, so it can take a while to get moving and navigate the stairs in his Nashville home, he says. Dr. Stork is known for sharing medical advice with television viewers and has authored several health books, but the 48-year-old physician admits he wasn’t always as careful about his own health. From Injury to OA Years ago, he jammed or hyperextended a toe, and his body still reminds him of it. “When I ...more

Finding Your Fit(ness) 

By Julie Eller – Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast Co-Host  In the latest episode of the Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast, we talk with Cedric Bryant, PhD, president and chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise (ACE), about how to find the right fit for your fitness. We talk about how to set small goals that can accomplish big dreams. One year ago this month, I was able to complete a momentous bike ride down the California Coast: 525 miles to cure arthritis. The ride took place over eight long days of pedaling, eight long nights of camping (in a tent!), and eight long days of reflecting on ...more

World Arthritis Day 2020

It’s time to remind the world that arthritis is a real disease that reduces quality of life. Oct. 12, 2020, is World Arthritis Day. This observance calls global attention to a complex, multifaceted disease that evidence shows is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with both physical and emotional impacts. But for much of the world, it’s still an invisible disease. This year, there’s the extra layer of COVID-19 — an unprecedented situation that has literally changed the world forever. We hope you will recognize arthritis through that extra lens and help spread the word to others in your network about how ...more

The Pain Experience is Personal – A Journey of Trial & Error

The Pain Experience is Personal – A Journey of Trial & Error By Rebecca Gillett, MS OTR/L - Live Yes! With Arthritis Co-host It’s a constant battle trying to manage the chronic pain of arthritis, especially if you’re new to the diagnosis. And everyone around you wants to offer their two cents of what they think you should do to manage your pain. But that right there is the problem. It’s not their pain. It’s yours. You’re the one experiencing the pain. Ultimately, you’re the one who will benefit from a treatment if it works or not. But how do you get ...more

September Arthritis News Roundup

The Arthritis Foundation is your trusted source for information, and we’re staying on top of the latest arthritis-related news that could affect you. Here’s what you need to know about some of the headlines from this past month. CDC Reverses Test Guidance for Asymptomatic COVID Contact Asymptomatic people who have been exposed to COVID-19 should be tested, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reversing its controversial guidance the agency introduced in late August. Any individual without symptoms who has been in close contact with an infected person for at least 15 minutes is now being advised to be tested. Read ...more

Meet Our Newest Rheumatology Fellows

People living with arthritis rely on the special expertise of a rheumatologist. However, having access to one can be difficult due to a severe shortage across the country. The Arthritis Foundation has committed to help close the gap on the rheumatologist shortage by funding grants to universities in underserved areas, providing $150,000 to support new fellowship programs. Five schools were funded for three adult and two pediatric rheumatology fellowships, running from July 2020 to July 2021. Two of the fellows have been named for adult fellowship programs funded by the Arthritis Foundation: Dr. Kurt Blake at the University of Alabama at ...more

It’s Manly to Admit Your Pain – My Journey to Do Just That

By Jed Finley, founder, Living With Ankylosing Spondylitis support group I’ve had ankylosing spondylitis (AS) for 26 years. I’ve been an advocate for people with AS for half of that time, and what I have learned is that guys don’t like to admit they are in pain. Support groups are 66% female, even though current diagnosis rates favor males by the same amount. The numbers are backwards, for the simple fact that men do not like to admit they need support. And I’ll admit it, I used to be the same way. Jed Finley I was 12 years old when I was diagnosed. At ...more