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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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 »
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-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 »
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 »
Advocate for Arthritis! Learn About the 2012 Advocacy Summit & E-Advocate Opportunities – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Ignoring arthritis is unacceptable. Right? Right! So, it’s time to let Congress know where you stand on arthritis and arthritis-related health issues. So take a stand, raise your voice, make a difference, and let the United States know that arthritis is unacceptable! The annual Advocacy Summit brings together advocates, young and old, from across the … Continue reading »
25 Ways to Stay Active Indoors – Even if you Have Arthritis! – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
It is often hard for people with arthritis to exercise as frequently as we want to — and it is even more difficult when we are confined indoors during these winter months, which, for many, are colder and with worse weather. But, have no worries, have no fear — here is a list of 25 … Continue reading »
An “Ashley’s Health Diary” Update – Entry #30 – Wrapping Up 2011 and Looking Ahead to 2012 – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
January 3rd, 2012 – I have not done one of my more personal Ashley’s Health Diary posts in a while, because I realized that it was more important for me to educate about rheumatic conditions than to talk about my own story. However, I do realize that as a patient advocate, that sharing my story … Continue reading »
The Best Arthritis News of 2011 – by Ashley Boynes-Shuck
Barbara Walters named her Top 10 Most Fascinating People, TIME Magazine named its Person of the Year, and People Magazine recently put out their Best of 2011 issue. So, as 2011 wraps up, I want to touch upon some of the best and/or most important arthritis and health moments/breakthroughs of 2011! New NSAID: Vimovo, a … Continue reading »
