My old friend, whom I will call Sarah, has reached age 87. She, I have discovered, is more reliable at predicting the weather than are meteorologists. When we met one recent afternoon, the sky was perfectly blue and the day had become warm and spring-like. It looked for all the world as if the next day would be sunny also.
But no, Sarah told me that rain was on the way. This she knew, not because of hearing a radio forecast or seeing one on television, but because her bones hurt so much. She knew from the pain in her legs that the next day would be rainy and cold.
When we encountered one another that afternoon, Sarah was walking to the bank. But she had no intention of walking the three blocks home after finishing her business. Her legs hurt too much for that and she would take the bus even for such a short ride.
Sarah, like almost one-half of Americans over age 65, suffers from arthritis. So do many younger people. Almost twice as many of those with this chronic disease are women rather than men. For the population at large, this disease qualifies as “the nation’s leading cause of disability,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Strangely enough, Americans who have lower incomes and less education are more likely to have some form of arthritis. At least, this is what the authoritative National Academy on an Aging Society reports. This source provides no explanation for this phenomenon and I have not found an answer either.
According to this same source, more than twice as many people over age 70 with arthritis need help with the activities of daily living as do those who are free of the disease. They are also much more likely to have spent five or more days in bed in the course of a year.
The name “arthritis” is something of a catch-all term for more than 100 different conditions that affect the joints or muscles and other tissues. The two main types are 1) osteoarthritis, an ailment caused by the breakdown of the issue between joints and 2) rheumatoid arthritis that comes from swelling in the joints.
It may be of dubious benefit to pass on the National Academy’s statements about how arthritis sufferers look at life. According to surveys, the latter experience much less satisfaction with life and those over 70 feel pessimistic about their chances of living 10 or 15 more years.
These gloomy research results suggest the importance of managing arthritis better. And for that Marian Hannan, a researcher at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged’s Research and Training Institute has some tips to offer:
- Exercise can help to increase joint range of motion, strength and flexibility.
- Rest, along with relaxation techniques, stress reduction, and biofeedback may ease pain.
- Weight control looking to reduce pressure on joints can make a difference in symptoms.
- Acupuncture and other non-traditional remedies may prove important elements in treatment.
Dr. Hannan also advises shifting your focus away from disabilities to abilities and looking for support systems within your extended family, circles of friends, and others.
The editors of the Harvard Health Letter also offer advice based on both research and practice. They offer much valuable information and provide the following upbeat appraisal of what can be done for those who suffer from this disease, with special attention to prevention:
“Specialized exercises and lifestyle changes can help anyone with arthritis live a more active and pain-free life. In terms of prevention, no sure-fire program advice exists. But you and your physician can slow the progression with a timely diagnosis and by beginning treatment right away. You can improve your day-to-day life through a combination of sensible exercise and work routines, physical therapy, weight reduction, and by making some minor modifications in your home.”
The Harvard editors summarize their hopeful approach: “Millions of people live with arthritis. Medical research, new drugs, improvements in surgical treatment, and an active role in the control and treatment of your condition can help you be one of the growing number of arthritis patients who live well.”
As a person thus far spared the pains of arthritis, I do not speak with much authority on the subject. However, I do sympathize with Sarah and other friends who must cope with it all the time. This friend lives alone and it must be hard for her to deal with the pain and general discomfort. I like to think that she can rely on support from her family and friends.
Being able to predict tomorrow’s weather is a skill better acquired in a science course than through the pain in one’s bones. I hope Sarah and others like her find relief with the passing of a rainy April.
Richard Griffin