How to Prevent and Treat Arthritis

Age 42
Baltimore, Maryland
Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 8

"When I was a child my parents noticed I'd limp after playing all day. I saw many different doctors, but arthritis was never mentioned. That's not surprising: While 50,000 children in the U.S. today know they have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, many kids go undiagnosed—and the disorder was even less recognized 30 years ago. I finally learned that I had arthritis at age 8, and even then I wasn't given the best guidance about what I should do to protect my joints. For instance, I was told to rest and now we know it's best to stay active. When I park in a handicap spot and my kids, who are 14 and 9, hop out people sometimes give us strange looks. They don't know that I had my hip replaced at age 33 or that I get steroids injected into my shoulder so I can keep moving."

Originally published in the April 17, 2010, issue of Family Circle magazine.

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