Christine Miller
Christine Miller wrote about rheumatoid arthritis as a Patient Expert for HealthCentral. She was diagnosed at 16 months old with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and has gone through the ebbs and flows of disease activity — many medications, much time spent in physical and occupational therapy, surgeries, and periods of relative remission.
Latest by Christine Miller
Swimming and Water Exercise for RA
If you live with rheumatoid arthritis, swimming and other water exercises can be a great way to reduce pain and build strength without stressing your joints.
Wrist splints for Arthritis: JIA, Kids and Splints
In my last post, I wrote about the benefits and drawbacks of wearing splints and tried to give some suggestions for complying with a splinting regimen. I also thought that it might be helpful to talk about splinting for kids, and from a kid’s perspec...
Wrist splints pros and cons
The wrist is one of the most common joints to be affected by rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, about 75% of people with RA have arthritis in the wrists, marked by pain, inflammation, joint structure damage and loss of range of motion. Wrist splints, lik...
Whole Grains Part 2: Jazz Up Your Holiday Cooking
Read Part 1: Eating Whole Grains to Reduce Inflammation and Manage Weight Whole grains like brown rice or wheat berries are great replacements for breads and white rice in salads, stuffing and casseroles. For example, a festive holiday salad might be ...
Foot impairments and walking disability with RA
Rheumatoid arthritis frequently affects the joints of the foot and ankle; commonly the joints that connect the toes to the foot (called the metatarsophalangeal joint or MTP joint). This is what we usually call the ball of the foot. And it can also af...
Think Positive is Theme of 2008 World Arthritis Day...And Words to Live By
Sunday, October 12 was World Arthritis Day. This year’s theme, “Think Positive,” aimed to help people recognize and discuss the physical and emotional challenges associated with all forms of arthritis as well as positive things one can do to help inc...
Another Warning Label Change: Rituxan Label Changed Again After RA Patient Contracts Brain Infection
On September 11, the FDA, Genentech and Biogen Idec (the manufacturers of Rituxan) announced that the labeling for the drug is being revised. This comes after the first report that a patient taking Rituxan to treat rheumatoid arthritis had died of th...
New FDA Warnings for TNF Inhibitors- What are the Fungal Diseases Involved?
What are the warnings? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just announced that the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade must strengthen the existing "Black Box" warnings because of the risk of developing opportunistic fu...
Sleep Disorders Common with RA
Do you have problems falling asleep? Do you wake frequently during the night? Do you feel fatigued or sleepy during the day? If you do, you aren’t alone. Many adults and children with RA and other rheumatic diseases have sleep problems. So many, that ...
Drinking with Rheumatoid Arthritis
In early June, and for weeks since, news outlets have been writing about a study showing that responsibly drinking five or more servings of wine or other alcohol a week cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50%. Those who drank 1-...