Articles

Living with a chronic illness can be a challenging and isolating journey. The physical and emotional toll that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can have on people living with it can often...

When I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I was so grateful to have an actual diagnosis and answer to my most painful symptoms that I didn’t stop to...

My world shrinks smaller when I go into “fierce mode.” I pull back from outreach and engagement. I determine what are the necessary things for me to do, and concentrate...

For quite awhile, I felt that my chronic pain was just another symptom of the bigger disease in my life, cystic fibrosis (CF). I was born with CF, although I...

Have you ever had a real doozy of a month? I have. I fell seriously ill and to be very honest, it was the worst. If you have an autoimmune...

Have you considered joint replacement? Did you factor in your age when making the decision? Did your doctor give you a speech about joint failure and longevity? A friend of...

Over the decades that I’ve lived with rheumatoid arthritis, I’ve learned to straddle 2 realities. One reality is my daily life, where I structure my days so I can best...

In August 2019, before Covid-19 exploded and the world was overtaken by a deadly pandemic, I lost my rheumatologist. It was a devastating blow when he first told me the...

As someone who lives with chronic illness, I have come to expect the unexpected in many ways. Unfortunately, life still throws curveballs our way. This summer, my lower back pain...

It's funny- when you live in pain, you spend a lot of time thinking about (and trying) different ways to think less about your pain. Like, if you could just...

Who would have thought: I'm sick again! And it's at the worst possible time for a graduate student: finals week. This serves as a stark reminder of how much my...

As many of you already know, the month of May is dedicated to Arthritis Awareness Month. This year, in honor of awareness month, we are testing your knowledge of RA!...

With summer just around the corner, many of us are ready to enjoy more activity, BBQs, and days in the sun. It’s been a long, cold winter and you’re excited...

The rheumatoid arthritis (RA) community is diverse. It is full of people from all ages, genders, and geographic locations. The RA community is also full of support. People looking for...

Stay with me here: I think there's a surprisingly intricate relationship between alcohol and RA. Don't get me wrong; I love occasionally indulging in a drink after a difficult day...

Dr. Baker is a board-certified rheumatologist in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. She is a 2-time published author of “The Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap” and “The Psoriatic Arthritis Roadmap” which...

When we moved 4 years ago, one of the most difficult challenges was establishing a new relationship with a rheumatologist here. In my previous community, I had a very successful...

You probably wouldn't know this unless you have RA—and maybe even if you do have RA, you haven't thought about this—but having RA is really expensive. You might think that...

I really like to try to treat my rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain through a holistic approach. Over the past 18+ years, I have used a combination of prescribed medications...

Before a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis, many people have an incomplete picture of the disease. We were curious about how their perception of the disease changed after they were diagnosed...