Help millions of people live with less pain and fund groundbreaking research to discover a cure for this devastating disease.
A New and Better You With Mind Body Stress Reduction
By Lauren Brooke Have you ever desired to transport your mind’s energy to a state of calmness and tranquility? If you answered yes, then MBSR might be the right journey for you to embark upon. MBSR stands for mind body stress reduction, and as a participant, I can say it certainly is. The MBSR course, originally developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s by professor Jon Kabat-Zinn, is designed for participants to become aware of the mind-body connection and through the various practices to become mindful. As you explore breath work, meditation and mindful body movements, you ...more
Vim Champion: Tiffany Coffman
As an arthritis patient and longtime Arthritis Foundation volunteer, Tiffany has found ways to give back — and to encourage others. She also recommends trying the new Vim app. By Tiffany Coffman, Denver, Colorado I’ve raised two children with arthritis and battle four kinds of the disease myself. I take 36 pills a day, from my prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to over-the-counter pain meds. Honestly, it’s been tough at times, but we’ve gotten through it all, thanks in large part to the many friends we’ve made in the arthritis community over the past 15 years. I became a passionate volunteer for ...more
September 2021 Arthritis News Roundup
The Arthritis Foundation is your trusted source for arthritis-related news and COVID updates that affect people with arthritis. Here’s a wrap-up of the headlines from this past month. The Latest in COVID-19 News and Arthritis WHO Monitors New ‘Mu’ COVID-19 Variant The World Health Organization is monitoring a new coronavirus variant called “mu,” which the agency says has mutations that have the potential to evade immunity provided by a previous COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Get details here. NIH to Study COVID Vaccine Booster in Autoimmune Patients The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has begun a phase 2 trial to assess the antibody response to a booster dose ...more
Natalie Decker
Natalie Decker is a Chronic Strength Champion, which means she doesn’t just take control of her pain — she battles back. Read to learn how Natalie is driven to overcome her rheumatoid arthritis. Most of my life, I’ve known two things for certain: 1) I always wanted to be a NASCAR driver; and 2) being born with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) would not stop me from pursuing a fulfilling, active life. Now, at the age of 24, I can happily say I’ve followed through on my commitments to both, as one of the top young drivers on the NASCAR scene and ...more
King of the Hill in Fighting Chronic Pain
Helen King is a longtime Arthritis Foundation volunteer who has made a significant impact locally (Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey) in the fight against arthritis — and is a new member of our national board of directors. Here, she talks about the Foundation’s pain management strategy. By Helen King, King of Prussia, PA Last spring, I was pleasantly surprised to be asked if I’d be interested in joining the Arthritis Foundation’s national board of directors. I was. And I was voted in by the full board this past summer. What an honor and privilege this is to me, after volunteering for ...more
Travis Salmon
Travis Salmon is a Chronic Strength Champion, which means he doesn’t just take control of his pain — he battles back. Read to learn how Travis has found ways to overcome his osteoarthritis. In my late 20s, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) in my ankle — and told that, at some point, I’d need to have my ankle fused. Fresh out of law school and still playing basketball multiple times per week, the news came as a total shock. As a former college athlete, I was devastated that I might never be able to shoot hoops with my ...more
Yoga: So Much More Than Just Movement
By Rebecca Gillett, MS OTR/L, Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast Co-host September is Pain Awareness Month, and in this podcast episode, Mindful Movement Part 2: Yoga, we’re exploring ways to keep our bodies moving to prevent arthritis pain from limiting our lives. In the last episode, we focused on mindful movement and tai chi. This time, we’re diving into mindful movement of yoga and arthritis. When you have arthritis, you probably think, “No way can I do those poses with my joint pain. Yoga is going to make my pain worse!” That’s exactly how I felt when I was first diagnosed. I have ...more
Team PLC
This is the second of two profiles this month of people who are sharing their experiences as members of the Arthritis Foundation’s Patient Leadership Council (PLC). Learn how to apply to join the PLC at the end of this post. By Laura Genoves The Patient Leadership Council (PLC) was formed by the Arthritis Foundation in 2017. I have been fortunate to serve as a member of this diverse group of individuals from across the country since its inception. In the days before COVID-19 (remember those days?) I would volunteer in person at my local Arthritis Foundation Office in Seattle once or twice a ...more
Cristina Schaefer
Cristina Schaefer is a Chronic Strength Champion, which means she doesn’t just take control of her pain — she battles back. Read to learn how Cristina has found ways to overcome her rheumatoid arthritis. Seventeen years ago, my life changed when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. As someone who had always been active and athletic, the diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks. Some days, I’d wake up with my elbows completely locked in a bent position, or my knees would lock when I’d stand. After a few years on biologic treatments, I was able to live, work and ...more