2025 Top Takeaways & Mailbag 

Arthritis Foundation 2025 Top Takeaways

Episode #143 Transcript | CLEAN | 12/3/25

 

 

Released Dec. 9, 2025

PODCAST OPEN: Thank you for tuning in to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast, produced as a public service by the Arthritis Foundation. You may have arthritis, but arthritis doesn’t have you. Here, you’ll get information, insights and tips you can trust — featuring volunteer hosts and guest experts who live with arthritis every day and have experience with the challenges it can bring. Their unique perspectives may help you — wherever you are in your arthritis journey. The Arthritis Foundation is committed to helping you live your best life through our wide-ranging programs, resources and services. Our podcast is made possible in part by the generous financial contributions of people like you. Now, let’s listen in.

Trina Wilcox: Welcome to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast. My name’s Trina Wilcox. I’m super excited to be your host for this special year-end episode. I was diagnosed at age 6, a story, like probably most of you, where my knees were stiff and achy. I cried a lot in pain, and Mom and Dad took me to numerous doctors before finally getting me a diagnosis.

Hopefully, this will bring some insight to you. It’s been a great year. I had a wonderful experience: I got to host the first live Live Yes! podcast at the JA Family Summit this summer in Salt Lake City. Lots of fun. So, we’ll just keep rolling along and move into this special episode.

2025. Oh, my goodness, it’s been quite a year to say the least, one for the history books for sure. With that said, we’re going to use this episode for some reflection, take some time to look back and explore some of the top takeaways from a few of our most popular and intriguing episodes from 2025, along with highlighted social media posts pertaining to each topic. We’ll also hear from some of our listeners. We'll hear what they have to say and answer a few of their questions about arthritis in our mailbag segment.

First, some housekeeping items. In the transcript, in the show notes of this top takeaways episodes, we'll provide links to each individual episode featured here. So, if you want to get more details about any particular topic or listen to the full episode, just click the links. In this episode, we’re going to roll from one episode’s takeaways to another, chronologically as the year unfolded. You'll hear some comments from social media followers, plus the key takeaways of the topics we covered. Topics like surviving menopause, how to get a good night’s sleep, life hacks for arthritis, maximizing your mental health, arthritis-related conditions, how to lose weight for arthritis, understanding advocacy and how your story can change laws, and separating fact from fiction when it comes to arthritis treatments.

Again, if you want to hear the full episode of any topic, you can find it at arthritis.org/podcast. And don't forget, at the end of this episode, we'll reach into our mailbag and pull a few listeners’ comments and questions about arthritis, and you'll hear experts’ responses. You won’t want to miss that. So, stay tuned. Now, let’s get to our past year’s podcast takeaways underway, starting with surviving menopause with arthritis.

MUSIC BRIDGE

From “Surviving Menopause With Arthritis” (Episode 122) – Released Jan. 28, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/surviving-menopause-with-arthritis

Stacy Courtnay: For this podcast episode, we asked followers on social media what they found most helpful for coping with both arthritis and menopause at the same time. So, I'm going to read a couple of the comments, and then feel free to jump in, Dr. Ford, with any feedback that you have on them.

Dr. Anne Ford: Sure.

Stacy Courtnay: So, handbags36, she said, "My inflammatory arthritis journey started the same month I went into menopause. I have found that reducing my stress, sorting out my sleep, taking magnesium, following a low-sugar, gluten-free diet when I can and no alcohol has helped with my symptoms, and I truly believe it reduced my flares. I've started swimming and using the steam room. It's really helped with my night sweats and my up and down moods. And lastly, being kind to myself is very helpful."

Dr. Anne Ford: Oh my gosh, she's doing everything that I would recommend that she do. (laughter)

Stacy Courtnay: That's right. Eden of England, she said, "Osteoarthritis in my hips brought on in part by hypermobility. Pilates and strength training has helped reduce the pain to the point that walking is less painful, and I feel more stable. Cold water therapy and swimming has also helped, as well as improving my mood and sleep." I definitely, I think, movement, no matter what type of movement you're getting is going to be helpful for your joints, for your mood, your emotions. And she also referenced taking some supplements. Chondroitin, MSM, glucosamine and turmeric also help.

Dr. Anne Ford: I would echo her comments there, especially about balance. Balance is so important as we age. Because as we age, falls become much more dangerous. So, if you are doing Pilates now, and you have good balance, and you continue as you age, and you can keep your balance good, I mean, that's just huge for your overall health and wellness. 

Stacy Courtnay: We wrap up each episode by sharing our top three takeaways, and so, Dr. Ford, I'm going to ask you: What are your three top points that you would like the listeners to take away from our discussion today?

Dr. Anne Ford: So, I would like everybody to kind of think of menopause as a natural part of aging. And different people experience the symptoms and signs of menopause in different ways. And we live in an age where we are lucky enough to have treatment options that can help everybody if you need them. Some people don't need them. So, if you're one of those people that's just sailing through and doing great, wonderful. If not, I don't think people need to suffer. And there's no one size fits all. Everybody needs to kind of figure out what they need to make their quality of life the best it can be.

My second point would be along those lines. Treatment options exist for menopausal symptoms that are both pharmaceutical or medication, and they can be hormonal or non-hormonal. So, if you're suffering from hot flashes, but you really don't want to use systemic hormone therapy, don't be afraid to ask a provider about other non-hormonal options that could work for you.

And my third point would be: I really am a big proponent of overall health and wellness. In terms of diet, exercise and mind-body health and wellness, we all need to do as much as we can to keep ourselves healthy and fit and eating well and aging gracefully. I am a believer we're all going to get old and we're all going to die. But if we, as a society, could just accept that, I think we would be so much better off. But it doesn't mean that we have to just say, "Oh, throw in the towel." We can age gracefully and enjoy the time that we have up until until we can’t. So, yes, those are my points.

Stacy Courtnay: Oh, I like it. So, I would say my three takeaways from this conversation... Number one is movement. Any type of movement for your arthritis is going to be helpful. I just feel that any type of exercise is great for the mind, the body, the soul, the emotions, the hormones, all of that, so I encourage everybody to exercise.

Also, you know, the risk versus reward with the hormone therapy, I think it's a matter of personal choice. And if your quality of life is really impacted by the symptoms of menopause, there are options out there, hormonal or non-hormonal options, so thank you for explaining all of that to me.

And also, I love what you said: Menopause is part of life. We're all going to get old, you know. It's just a matter of aging gracefully. We're very lucky to live in this time where there's always new medications and new therapies coming out to help us all live our best life. So…

Dr. Anne Ford: Yeah.

Stacy Courtnay: I really enjoyed this conversation. And I appreciate all of our listeners. Again, this is our going through menopause with arthritis podcast with our guest expert, Dr. Anne Ford, from the Duke School of Medicine. So, really appreciate your time. Enjoyed the conversation. So, thank you so much.

Dr. Anne Ford: Thank you for having me. I enjoyed talking to you, too.

MUSIC BRIDGE

From “Arthritis & the Quest for Rest” (Episode 125) – Released March 18, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/arthritis-the-quest-for-rest 

Trina Wilcox: Before each episode we post a question on social media. And this episode we asked: How have you managed to get your Zs? And some of the responses… Alison Barber said, "CPAP," like you had talked about. "One thing for sure, lack of sleep seems to make the pain worse. And I flare when I'm really tired, but then sleep doesn't always seem to sort that fatigue."

Alfred Kim, MD: Yes, I hear that, and I hear a couple things. First of all, that relationship between poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep duration with pain. Everyone, regardless if they have arthritis or not, experiences this with prolonged… We’re talking several nights of poor sleep.

I actually, personally, think that whatever we want to call it — fibromyalgia, or chronic pain syndrome, or amplified pain syndrome — to me is a sleep disorder primarily and usually chronic insomnia, right? That's the root cause. We have definitely seen people with fibromyalgia get much better once they get good CBTI, the cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. That relationship, in my mind, seems so strong.  But then that last sentence, you know, the sleep doesn't always seem to sort the fatigue.

Oh, wait, we just talked about this: that a lot of patients have multiple sleep disorders going on at the same time. It's easy to say, "Oh, it's a CPAP fix." All right? It's like, "Oh, your vitamin D is low. Let's give you vitamin D supplementation." Patients with arthritis tend to have more nuanced sleep disorder issues, more sleep disorders. Each of them have to be addressed. So, it's not sufficient to address one of them, but you have to have all of them sufficiently addressed. And I'm wondering for Allison whether or not something else is brewing underneath there that's preventing her from having the energy levels that she's seeking during the daytime.

Trina Wilcox: I don't know how much you can speak to this, but I feel like there's probably other patients out there that can relate. Elisa Bateman Komer said, "RA has now begun to live and take over my TMJ joints, causing significant pain and TMD that affects sleep, among other things. I found a neuromuscular dentist/surgeon who put me in a special orthotic that really helps for sleep apnea." Which she doesn't have, but it helps her TMD. It says, "Patients relax more and get a better night's sleep and it's really helped." She wants other patients to know about it and thinks it would help a lot of people.

Alfred Kim, MD: Anyone who snores, even mild snoring at nighttime, which I am one of those people, are at risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Now, I don't know if Elisa has snoring at nighttime or has even some disrupted airflow, a potential risk factor for apnea, this type of apnea. I hear this and I wonder whether or not there was an underdiagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in her.

In terms of the actual orthotic, I would have to talk to a neuromuscular specialist, or a maxillofacial surgeon, or a dentist to be able to figure out: What is that mechanism going on there? It kind of sounds like she may have had obstructive sleep apnea that was not diagnosed.

Trina Wilcox: So, give me your top three takeaways from this conversation.

Alfred Kim, MD: Patients with arthritis, ask yourself: “Do I wake up refreshed normally?” Follow that up with: “Do I feel so fatigued that I have to, or I am tempted to, to take a nap during the daytime, right?” If the answer is yes, I think a discussion with your rheumatologist is really necessary to kind of start that journey. This impact in quality of life, whether it's professionally or socially, that's kind of a red flag to me.

Number two, try to keep a good sleep hygiene schedule. Hard to do, so hard to do. Maybe you need to go to tip three: Get a sleep specialist on board. 80% of patients with arthritis have a sleep disorder. Some of these can be self-managed or managed without a sleep specialist. I would argue that the majority do require a sleep specialist on board in order to optimize things. So, those would be my three top takeaways.

Trina Wilcox: Those are very good. I think mine would be: Do what works for you. I'm kind of like Patrice here. Sometimes Tylenol PM works great for me. Melatonin doesn't seem to be effective. I'll go to sleep and wake back up, so that doesn't seem to help me. So, do what works for you. Also, keep the notes, even though it sometimes seems like a struggle. Keep the notes when you can: on your phone, paper, whatever works for you. And you said something earlier; you said, “Act now.” I like that because I know sometimes we're inclined to put things off or think it'll get better when it's just frustrating us more and more. And the sooner you can take some action, the better.

Alfred Kim, MD: Absolutely.

Trina Wilcox: Thank you so much, Dr. Kim, for your time today. It's been a good conversation. I hope everyone has taken away something they can use and to make their life better or someone they know with arthritis. Get more information anytime at arthritis.org.

MUSIC BRIDGE

From “Life Hacks for Arthritis” (Episode 127) – Released April 8, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/life-hacks-for-arthritis 

Cristina Schaefer: So, Cheryl, before each episode, we post a question on social media. For this episode, we asked: “What are your go-to tips, products or hacks for making daily life with arthritis easier?” And we'd love to get your thoughts and/or feedback maybe on a few of these responses.

The first one we got was from mrcaren. It said, “compression gloves,” which we were just talking about, “heated mouse pad for work, rubber grips to open jars, heating pads, hot baths with salt soaks, Mad Ritual CBD topical rubs and bath bombs, and occasionally CBD edibles in the evening.” That's one thing we didn't really touch on, the use of CBD or, you know, salt soaks and things like that. What are your thoughts here?

Cheryl Crow: I think that the topical creams, whether it's CBD or whether it's like Biofreeze or some kind of arnica cream, it's something that there's usually a trial-and-error process involved. And so, I almost wish we had like a lending library where we could all just, you know, say, "OK, try this.” If it didn't work for me, “but you can keep it if it worked for you." But anyway, side note. I think all of those are great.

The hard thing for a lot of people is knowing where to get started, like where you're going to get the biggest bang for your buck. In that list, I do think that the heat is a great… It tends to be universally something that helps people, particularly with morning stiffness, which is common with the inflammatory types of arthritis, like RA, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. So, yeah. And I have a couple of creams on my desk as we speak as well, so every little bit counts.

Cristina Schaefer: Yeah, they said the hot baths. Donna said, "I've been dealing with RA, lupus and Sjögren's for 47 years. The best advice I can give is to learn to pace yourself and use the largest joint for the job. If it needs your wrist, put your elbow into it, for example. Support your joints with bigger joints." 

Cheryl Crow: That's a great example of somebody who is already — from their lived experience — an expert in joint-protection principles. If your small joints hurt, you have to use your bigger ones. So, I think that's great. And I also think I cannot overstate the importance of pacing yourself. I'm really glad that Donna mentioned this. It involves a lot of thinking through your routine ahead of time. Knowing, OK, when do I tend to lag in the day?

For me, it's the early afternoon. OK, so, can I schedule things that require more energy in the morning, so I give myself a little bit of a rest break in the afternoon? Can I delegate certain tasks? Can I break tasks into smaller parts? If I struggle in the morning with morning stiffness, can I do my meal prep the night before? There's just so many little things you can change to help pace yourself with your energy throughout the day.

The second thing is, when it comes to fatigue, in case it's helpful to people, one of the most unintuitive tools in your fatigue toolbox is actually consistent engagement and exercise and movement. Which, if that sounds confusing to you, I get it.

Cristina Schaefer: Gail said, "I have to rest a lot due to other conditions, but to keep moving I do stretches and leg lifts while lying on my sofa and watching TV. Even the smallest amount of movement can help. Listen to your body, don't overdo things, rest when needed. I use a tennis ball or hard sponge to build strength in my hands. I use aids to do things I find difficult. My particular favorite is my kettle pourer. I don't have to struggle to do it myself. I usually get my aids from the Complete Care Shop online."

Cheryl Crow: Yeah, this is a great example of what I've learned is called habit stacking, where you take a habit that you're already doing, in this case it may be, you know, lying on your sofa watching TV, and then adding an exercise into that or adding whatever lifestyle intervention works for you into that. Like, for example, when I brush my teeth, now you’ve got to be safe when you do this, but I like to do squats when I'm brushing my teeth just to like, you know… I'm already brushing my teeth, so then I'm going to get a little bit of strength training in there as well. Instead of thinking about exercise as this, like, “I have to go to the gym for an hour and tire myself out,” thinking about little things throughout the day is going to be really sustainable and more fun for most people.

Cristina Schaefer: To close each episode, we typically share our top three takeaways from the episode. I know for me that I already use the Ease of Use pen, but changing my pen grip is definitely going to be helpful. Remembering to change, how you said, the stuff or how I interact with the stuff. And also lastly, if I'm having difficulty, to remember to not just accept my limitation as it is but maybe see a professional and ask questions on how I can do things more easily. What are your top three takeaways, Cheryl?

Cheryl Crow: Very similar. I think the first is: Think about your life and your daily routines like a detective. Think about all the small little things you might be able to do differently to improve your pain and fatigue or overwhelm. And that can be a really empowering experience. You can even… I actually encourage people to write it down. Write it down if that doesn't hurt your hands. Or use speech to text or however you can, you know; list it, make it concrete.

The second is just give yourself permission to give your body what it needs. Understand that you have a choice in whether you see these daily living aids as something depressing or sad. Or you can choose to say, "I'm going to challenge myself. Can I see these, if not in a positive light, can I see these in a neutral light?" And then the last one, exactly what you said, is getting support, asking for help, whether that's from a friend or family member, whether that's from an expert in the area, like an occupational therapist. You don't have to do it all on your own.

Cristina Schaefer: Well, Cheryl, thank you so much for your time today. I truly hope this conversation is helpful for all of the listeners of this podcast, no matter what stage they are at with their diagnosis.

Cheryl Crow: Yeah, me, too. Thank you so much. And it's totally an honor to be able to share these tips with the audience. And I'm happy to answer any follow-up questions on social media if that works for people.

PROMO: The Arthritis Foundation’s Arthritis@Work program is a free service designed to help companies support employees with arthritis, so they can stay productive and feel confident at work. This program provides businesses with valuable resources, tools and strategies for creating an arthritis-friendly workplace. Go to arthritis.org/atwork to learn more.

Trina Wilcox: Thanks for joining us for these top takeaways of our 2025 Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast episodes. Let's continue the highlights, and if you want to hear the full episode of any topic, just go to arthritis.org/podcast. Let's start this segment by talking about mental health. It's such an important topic. Dr. Stephanie Rosado was our host.

MUSIC BRIDGE

From “Arthritis & Your Mental Health” (Episode 128) – Released April 22, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/arthritis-your-mental-health 

Dr. Stephanie Rosado: So, Destiny, before each episode, we post a question on social media. For this episode, we asked: When you feel anxious or depressed, what helps you rebound? So we'd love to get your thoughts on a few of these responses. The first one comes from marijorios, and they said, "Journaling and affirmations are a big part of how I stay grounded and motivated."

Destiny Davis: I think the caveat I would give to anyone who's not yet a journaler or does affirmations is just to make sure you're not trying to take on an affirmation that totally does not resonate with you and it's something that you think you should be saying to yourself. If you can't see that positive affirmation as being true for you, then you've got to find something to be a little bit more neutral before you can work your way up to a very positive belief.

Sometimes affirmations can sound like: “I believe my body is always healing.” We can at least try to absorb a belief around, “My body is working for me every day.” “My body is strong enough to do X, Y and Z.” Whatever is important to you. It's a little bit more neutral rather than, like, a far-fetched idea.

Dr. Stephanie Rosado: Yeah, it’s realistic. Instead of saying, “My body is healed.” Deborah_andio said, "Whenever I feel anxious or depressed or just exhausted from living with joint pain over 30 years, I find solace in journaling my thoughts, praying for and thanking God for the people in my life. And I also like channeling my energy into blogging. Writing helps me process my emotions, while prayer brings me comfort and reassurance. I also focus on helping others through my content and sharing my experiences, and offering support can be incredibly fulfilling. This combination not only lifts my spirits, but it also creates a sense of connection and purpose, reminding me that we're all in this together."

Destiny Davis: We actually have research to show that when somebody in a support group starts to become more of like a helper in the group rather than the one seeking support, there's something that shifts inside of them, and it feels more fulfilling than when we’re in the “being helped” role. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ever be in that role. We absolutely need to be in the role of being helped sometimes. That's a part of the journey. But then at some point to have somebody else, a newer person, where you're a little bit further along, when you can help them, it just feels really good.

Dr. Stephanie Rosado: So, to close each episode, Destiny, we typically share our top three takeaways from the episode. I'll start with you and ask you what your top three takeaways are, and let you know that I always cop out on this and I always just share one usually because I just have one that I really want to share.

Destiny Davis: First, identity work is probably one of the most important things that you can do when you have a chronic illness of any kind. You can do that through journaling, through therapy, through talking with your friends and family and support groups. So many ways to do that. Two is to remember to meet yourself where you're at. Whether it's figuring out a new exercise or positive affirmations or going to the doctor and figuring out what next treatments you're going to have.

Meet yourself where you're at. Don't try to push too hard, but don't stop doing everything as well. We’ve got to pace ourselves and do a little but not too much. And three: Just community always is going to be probably the biggest thing that you can do. I think I said the other thing was the biggest thing, but this is the biggest thing. (laughs)

Dr. Stephanie Rosado: It's OK. They're all important. And it ties really well to the one takeaway I want to share, because I just love it, and you really need to coin this: Find people that can lend you their calm. That has been such a game-changer, it sounds like, in your journey and in my journey.

So, that brings us to the end of this wonderful episode. Destiny, thank you for being here, sharing your expertise and lived experience. Before we wrap up, do you have anything you'd like to share with our audience?

Destiny Davis: I just want people to know that I do have a podcast as well. So, if you're listening to this and looking for another episode to listen to: The Chronic Illness Therapists podcast. I interview other medical professionals who specialize in chronic pain and illness. The intersection of lived experience and evidence-based is really important and rare. So, I try to interview other medical professionals who have that lived experience.

Dr. Stephanie Rosado: Awesome. Well, for our listeners out there, for more arthritis resources to help you live your best life, please visit arthritis.org. Thank you for joining us today.

Destiny Davis: Yes, thank you so much for having me.

MUSIC BRIDGE

From “Is It Arthritis — or Something Else?” (Episode 130) – Released May 27, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/is-it-arthritis 

Cristina Schaefer: For this episode we asked our social media followers: "Have you ever had symptoms you thought were from arthritis but turned out to be something else? What was it?" We actually had hundreds of really interesting responses, ranging from the medication side effects, to torn ligaments, to diseases they never knew existed, like Fong's disease and 70 hereditary hemocytosis. So, here's a few, maybe you can weigh in, Dr. Ruderman. We had Melissa Palmer, who said, "Frozen shoulder. I thought I had arthritis in my upper right arm. It turned out it's a symptom of menopause."

Dr. Eric Ruderman: So, it can be, but it can be a symptom of a lot of other things. So, that was an interesting one. The shoulder is a joint, but the actual joint part of the shoulder is very small. Much of what makes up what we think of as the shoulder joint is not bone; it's not a joint per se, it's the rotator cuff, and that's ligaments and tendons around the shoulder, which is what allows you to have such tremendous mobility of your shoulder. A frozen shoulder happens when you've had usually some injury or some problem with the rotator cuff. And as a result, it just tightens up, and the whole cuff sort of tightens up, and it makes it harder to move your shoulder around.

There are a lot of things that can do that. It can happen just because. It can happen because of a previous shoulder injury that might have happened. It tends to happen more, for reasons I'm not sure I entirely understand, in people with diabetes. But it is a real problem, and it is arthritis, because it's the shoulder, the greater shoulder joint, that's involved. But there's a different issue, and the management is very different. It is really sort of more about local management, with injection potentially, or physical therapy, to sort of get your range of motion back.

Cristina Schaefer: Lori Morrow Gordon said, "I was five hours into a heart attack, believing it was a bad flare. My hands and arms hurt so bad."

Dr. Eric Ruderman: I want to be careful about it, because I don't know exactly what was going on, but I would say one of the things that comes to mind when I hear this is to remember that our patients who have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis or any other diseases are much more prone to cardiovascular issues: heart disease, heart attack, strokes, things like that. And it's because of the inflammation associated with the disease.

People with rheumatoid arthritis, you know, people don't end up dying or in the hospital because of the rheumatoid arthritis; it's typically a stroke or a heart attack or something else. Because all of the inflammation from the rheumatoid arthritis affects all your blood vessels, and that could be a problem. Thankfully, we see a lot less of that now, because the medications that we use are so good at treating the inflammation and treating the underlying process that that sort of downstream effect doesn't happen as much.

The other piece of this, too, is women get unrecognized. Women who have a heart attack, and I mean, nobody ever thinks that a 42-year-old woman is having a heart attack. I mean, it just doesn't make any sense. And so, you go to the ER and people tend to blow you off. And yet our patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, they're the ones where that can happen. And even more importantly, women with heart attacks can present with very different symptoms. They're not the typical sort of crushing chest pain that goes down your left arm that you read about. That's the sort of standard symptom that men have with a heart attack; women get different symptoms.

The lesson to be learned is if you have a rheumatic disease, and you get any kind of discomfort in your chest, it's usually not going to be a heart attack. But be aware that it's something to think about in your situation when maybe somebody otherwise wouldn't if you didn't have your underlying disease.

Cristina Schaefer: So finally, we wrap up each episode with our top takeaways from our discussion. Dr. Ruderman, would you like to go first?

Dr. Eric Ruderman: I'll take a crack at it. The first takeaway I would want you to have is to recognize that there are sort of different kinds of arthritis, and arthritis is not all the same. And if nothing else, realize that there are local kinds of arthritis, that's more wear and tear degenerative, and stuff that's more systemic and needs different kinds of treatment. I would say that the symptoms of arthritis are often not terribly specific. Sometimes your symptoms aren't necessarily arthritis, because they could be symptoms of something else. But sometimes symptoms that turn out to be from arthritis, you don't recognize that because you didn't know that the people were thinking about other things. So, just be aware of the sort of non-specific nature of a lot of the symptoms that people get with arthritis.

I would go back to something we talked about earlier, and that was the second opinion question. And listen to your body, and know that if the answers you're getting aren't really addressing what you've got, look for more. And the best case is to talk to your own doctor and say, "Listen, I don't think so. I think there's something else going on." And work together to get to that. But if, in the worst case, you feel like you're just not getting those answers and you need another opinion, there's nothing wrong with doing that.

Cristina Schaefer: Yeah, I had very similar takeaways. With over a hundred forms of arthritis, it sounds like people can be easily misdiagnosed, or something can appear as something else. So, really important to track symptoms and communicate. As you just said, never be afraid to get a second opinion. It doesn't need to be awkward. But also, one thing that you said here towards the end, that if you do get a new medication, that can equate to some new side effects. So, you really just have to pay attention to what your body is telling you and different side effects you may be experiencing.

Dr. Eric Ruderman: I would add a caveat there, and I would just say: Be a little bit careful, because if you have a side effect, or if you have an issue, and you look up the medicine online, the list of side effects is endless. And before you assume that something's going on as a side effect, talk to your doctor to make sure: Is that really a common side effect? Or is it more likely that something else is going on? Just be careful about over-interpreting the side effects that you see if you Google the medicine online.

Cristina Schaefer: Dr. Ruderman, you've done an excellent job explaining everything today. We really appreciate your time.

Dr. Eric Ruderman: It was a pleasure, Cristina. Thank you for having me on here. The Arthritis Foundation is always a great source of information. We work very closely with them as rheumatologists and, you know, they do tremendous work on getting information out to people to help them find the ways to help themselves.

PROMO: Looking for expert guidance on living well with arthritis? The Arthritis Foundation offers a collection of free e-books covering a wide range of valuable topics to support daily living with arthritis. From strategies to simplify everyday tasks to travel advice, smart nutrition choices and more, these resources are designed to empower you. Explore the topics that matter most — and take charge of your health. Download your free e-books today at arthritis.org/ebooks.

Trina Wilcox: The last three of our top takeaways from our 2025 Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast episodes are next. And remember, if you want to hear the full episode of any topic, find it at arthritis.org/podcast. Losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight for arthritis can be tough, but it can also help reduce inflammation and pressure on your joints. What works? What doesn’t? Let’s listen with our host for this episode, Jamie Nicole.

MUSIC BRIDGE

How to Lose Weight for Arthritis (Ep. 132) – Released June 24, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/how-to-lose-weight-for-arthritis 

Jamie Nicole: As we wrap up, I wanted to go over some answers from the question that we asked our social media followers. And that question was: If you're losing weight to help your arthritis, what's working for you? And so, we have a couple of responses that I want to share with you. The first one is from Chrissy Livergood. She says, “Planning and tracking, and frankly,” she says, “being honest about how much I eat, what I eat and how much I move," et cetera… That's what really has helped her.

And I'll read one more and let you respond. Rose Cramer, she mentioned — and these are things that you've mentioned throughout the podcast as well — making sure that she eats enough protein, veggies and fruits. She adds in a protein shake if she's too low for the day. And so far, she has been... She's 31 pounds down since January, so she emphasizes tracking her calories, and she says no sugar and no soda.

Dr. Brian Andonian: Well, I appreciate those thoughts and congratulate them on their success. It’s not an easy thing to do. I think one of the things I hear is it's more about quality and not the quantity. Although you have to potentially reduce calories, you’ve really got to think about what you’re eating as maybe the most important thing.

Jamie Nicole: And then I believe it’s Charla Ather, she is on Wegovy and has lost 60 pounds. She says, “I’m one of the lucky ones. My health insurance paid the bill. I can move around better…” with the extra weight off of her joints.

Dr. Brian Andonian: Yeah, there's multiple ways to do it.

Jamie Nicole: Yeah, absolutely. So, based on everything that we've covered today, is there any final insight or reminder you'd like to leave our listeners with?

Dr. Brian Andonian: Sure. I always go back to the point that weight is only a number and that our weight is made up of multiple things, including fat and muscle. And perhaps just focusing on the scale and the number on the scale is not the way to go. And trying to focus on the process. Meaning, you're making healthy lifestyle changes, you're trying new things to really help your health and potentially lose weight, even if you're not yet. But then focusing on symptoms and how you feel and your overall just well-being, maybe those are more important than is the number on the scale.

And then the other thing is, again: Everyone is going to respond differently. It's tough when maybe you're doing a program with a friend, for example, and they're getting all the success and you're not. But there's so many factors that have to do with our biology, genetics, among other things, that really can make one person do well and another do well with another program. So, it's easy to give up hope when you see that you're not responding as maybe you'd like. It just means that we need to try different things. Hopefully one day we'll be able to assess: This one person will benefit from that program. But we're not quite there yet. Unfortunately, it's a little bit of a trial and error, and so I encourage people just to continue trying.

Jamie Nicole: And what came to mind is not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. For me, that was something that hindered me at the beginning of this journey. I thought that my journey should look similar to others. But I soon found out that there were other factors, as you mentioned. It wasn't all about calories in versus calories out, and that I really did have to learn about my body. If you want to learn more about weight management, the Arthritis Foundation has lots of good information on their website, where you'll find additional resources, insights and stories from others on a similar journey like you. Dr. Andonian, thank you again for joining us.

Dr. Brian Andonian: Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed our conversation.

MUSIC BRIDGE

Advocacy 101: How Your Story Can Change Laws (Ep. 137) – Released Sept. 9, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/advocacy-story-change-laws-137 

Cristina Schaefer: For every episode, we ask a question and include some of the responses from our followers on social media. So, for this episode, we asked: “If you’ve ever done any advocacy work, what was the most rewarding win that you had?” I'm going to read a couple of the responses that we got, and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you want to weigh in. The first one came in from Chris Kraus Coaching. “From living with arthritis to speaking up for it, every win is proof that our stories have power. Keep telling your story. You never know who needs to hear it.”

Deb Constien: Powerful, yes. You know, you never know who else needs to hear what I'm saying? Or it will encourage another person, “Hey, that person spoke up, why can't I? Or why shouldn't I?”

Anna Hyde: 100% agree.

Cristina Schaefer: The next one came from Zach, the arthritis coach. Zach stated, “The most rewarding moment that I've been lucky enough to be a part of is having a young girl, who was told she might never walk the same, go from feeling small, broken and sad, to squatting over 100 pounds, moving better, feeling better and become happier than ever. Sometimes giving someone self-belief is all that is needed for a huge turnaround.”

Deb Constien: Again, super powerful. I mean, just seeing from the person who could barely walk, to squatting 120 pounds. I can say that I wouldn't be able to do that, but you know, you have to believe in yourself. And if somebody else believes in you… I know my husband is my partner in crime. I do have a really good outlook about my arthritis, but sometimes I do have my little pity party, and he'll pick me up and help brush me off, and he'll just say, “Just be blessed with what you can do.” And I'm like, that's a really good perspective. So, agreed. That's the same type of thing that person did.

Cristina Schaefer: Finally, we wrap up each episode with our top takeaways from the discussion. For me, just one big one off the top I'd love to share, just as a longtime volunteer who's served in many different roles with varying time commitments: Advocacy really seems to be one place that anyone can get involved, no matter how much or how little time you have to give. Deb, what are your top takeaways for this episode?

Deb Constien: I would piggyback off of that, and that the Arthritis Foundation has done the hard work and helps prepare the Advocate be prepared for any of these situations, helps empower them and provides them with the wording in emails if it was an email, or if you are presenting on something, that they give you the confidence and the material to feel powerful to go forward.

Anna Hyde: I would just say that your story is more powerful than you know, in fueling what we do. And there are ways that you can share it, both big and small. It doesn't have to be a big barrier to entry.

Cristina Schaefer: Well, thank you both for your time today. I hope that anyone who's listening to this really takes away that this is a great place to get involved. And your story matters.

MUSIC BRIDGE

Tricks or Treatments? (Ep. 140) – Released Oct. 21, 2025

https://www.arthritis.org/liveyes/podcast/episodes/trick-or-treatments-140 

Trina Wilcox: For this episode, we asked folks: What is the most unusual arthritis remedy you've heard of and how did it work? So, Jeremy Elder said, "My maternal grandfather swore by (laughs) WD‑40 on stiff joints." That has to be a joke.

Dr. Brian Andonian: I don't know. We're rubbing olive oil on our joints, too. So, is there something about just how these can help our joints just move more fluidly? I don't know if that's helpful. I feel like there could be some potential downsides to that, too.

Trina Wilcox: I would think so. Val Taylor said that her grandmother used to swear by vinegar and brown paper for sore joints. She came from a family of Cornish tin miners, and she can't say she's ever tried it though. I have never heard of this.

Dr. Brian Andonian: Yeah, that's another one. Overall vinegar, I can't say it's going to be harmful. Think about vinegar being included in a lot of fermented foods, so maybe there's some benefit, but I wouldn't say that rubbing it on your body is also going to be too helpful.

Trina Wilcox: Makes you wonder if just the stimulation of the circulation or so, I don't know. Another response from Liva Krieke says the Latvian folk method, which is cabbage leaves.

Dr. Brian Andonian: This is something I’ve got to look up. I’m not sure if this is also putting it over the affected area. And that also gives benefit. Cabbage is a great thing in terms of our diet, so I can't argue with that one either.

Trina Wilcox: Brianna Reeves Ramos said, "Red light therapy."

Dr. Brian Andonian: Yeah. Another one I'm not entirely sure here either. There's a lot of thought how just different light affects us in a lot of ways. So, potentially this is a great field to study more.

Trina Wilcox: I will agree with Jenn Tullman-Botzer, who says for her it was getting a dog. "He takes me out to get exercises even when I don't feel like it, sleeps on my knees to keep them warm."

Dr. Brian Andonian: This is a great one. When I think of lifestyle medicine, one aspect is maintaining healthy relationships. And that can include our pets and animals. Anything that gives us positive feedback and moves our lives in healthier directions, I'm all for that.

Trina Wilcox: Absolutely. Well, thank you for spending time and going through these. What would you say your three takeaways from this episode would be?

Dr. Brian Andonian: I think a lot of takeaways. There's a lot of good things we talked about. I'll go back to my point that lifestyle integrative therapies should be considered as key therapies for arthritis. And maybe that leads into the second point that integrative is the key here. That especially those with inflammatory types of arthritis or autoimmune diseases, integrative therapies, like lifestyle change, can work with our medications to potentially give even better effect than the medications alone.

But the third point really is that you have to discuss with your provider and rheumatologist. That every therapy we consider has potential risks and benefits. And just because it's natural does not mean it's safe. And we have to make sure we're understanding those potential risks. And I hope that your provider, even if they don't know about the therapy, will be willing to look into the potential risks and then really come up with a good treatment plan that includes medications and the integrative therapies.

Trina Wilcox: Yes. Thank you. I would agree that definitely one of my takeaways is, I've even said it before and want to reiterate: Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe. Make sure you have a good relationship with your doctor, your team, and you can talk about the risks and benefits of certain medications or supplements and see if there are any interactions. And I always like bringing up exercise because I think it's a mind, body, spirit, you know, benefit to any lifestyle, especially if you have arthritis. So, thank you so much, Brian Andonian, for spending some time on our Happy Halloween episode. I appreciate it.

Dr. Brian Andonian: Yeah. I hope this episode wasn't too scary for everyone. And thanks again for having me.

Trina Wilcox: Not at all. Thank you. Please check out the resources that we have at arthritis.org. And you can even look for a chapter near you.

PROMO: Arthritis Foundation Connect Groups provide a safe space for people to share their experiences with different forms of arthritis. These virtual and in-person support groups foster connections based on shared interests — allowing participants to support one another in the challenges they face while enhancing their sense of community and understanding. Find your group at connectgroups.arthritis.org.

Trina Wilcox: That was fantastic. Hearing some of our highlights and all the insights from the past year have made me very optimistic for 2026. To wrap up our end-of-2025 podcast episode, it's time for our mailbag segment. This is where we asked you, our listeners, on social media: What's one thing about treatments or anything else about arthritis that you wish you understood better? We'll share a few of your responses along with insights provided by key arthritis experts.

To start, Holly Steward Franz said: "I wish the insurance companies would stop making people suffer through months and years of ineffective drugs like methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine before they agreed to pay for biologics for RA and PSA." So, Eric Ruderman, MD, professor of medicine and associate chief for clinical affairs of the Division of Rheumatology at Northwestern University, who is also co-director of cooperative clinic for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, said: "While these requirements can be frustrating, not everyone needs to go straight to a biologic. It's reasonable to start with methotrexate in many cases, especially since many biologics, should they become necessary, work better in combination with methotrexate. It really needs to be an individual decision, but you can work with your rheumatologist to be sure that it doesn't take too long to get on effective therapy." Very good.

Next, Marianna Macajola said: "I wish I never stopped working out. Mobility is huge in this disease." I have to agree with her. To respond, we have Kim Marie Huffman, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center and member of Duke Molecular Physiology Institute at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Huffman, who has studied the effects of physical activity on health outcomes in patients with many types of arthritis, including RA, OA and gout, said: "I completely agree. For people with arthritis, continued physical activity is extremely important for maximizing mobility. Even with joint damage, mobility can be optimized by maintaining healthy skeletal muscles around the joints. In addition to mobility, physical activity and regular exercise offer numerous benefits, including maintaining a healthy weight and reducing cardiovascular risk."

In another question, Mandeep Wirk said: "Drugs to combat rheumatoid arthritis have terrible side effects, like damaging organs. Why is it, in all these years, that a treatment or drugs to treat arthritis have not been found or created that can work without such harmful effects on organs?" We asked Dr. Ruderman to weigh in on this one, and he said: "Unfortunately, side effects can happen with any medication. Since rheumatoid arthritis is fundamentally a disease of an overactive immune system, some of the medications used to treat it have an adverse effect on the immune system. In the end, however, the risks generally balance by the benefits of controlling the disease and preventing the complications that can occur."

Another question, Lisa Lisa asked: "I have grade four OA in my kneecaps, and I'm pretty sure it's in my hips and thumbs, too. I got the diagnosis in my knees, refused surgery and just left. I always loved walking, and now it really hurts. On good days, I can still walk a couple of miles, slow and very stiff, but my knees feel like they're on fire the following day. I walk downstairs one step at a time because I struggle to bend the knees when weight-bearing, but my doctors show no interest, and OTC painkillers don't touch the pain. Can anyone recommend an effective pain relief?" We asked Dr. Ruderman to field this question, and he said: "I understand that you want to avoid surgery, but sometimes it's the best option. We don't have any medication that can slow or reverse the progression of osteoarthritis, and pain meds can only do so much when the degeneration of the joint is severe. In that situation, joint replacement can sometimes be the best option."

For our last question, Chas Marie said: "I wish that a rheumatologist would have told me that cutting out sugar and carbs would make me feel 85% better almost immediately." Dr. Huffman took on this tough question. She said: "This is a very interesting point. With the possible exception of gout, rheumatologists rarely consider the impact of diet components on rheumatologic diseases. There's increasing evidence that healthy diets, rich in fruits and vegetables, can improve systemic inflammation as well as other aspects of health.

We have time for one more listener comment, and I think it sums up nicely at the end of the year. Carrie Geiman said: "Do the self-care. To whatever extent you can, find what works for you and make it part of your life." I think that says it all for now. Thank you for joining us. And remember to tune into the Live Yes With Arthritis podcast again in 2026. We'll see you then. Until then, you can also find support and resources on the Arthritis Foundation's website at arthritis.org.

PODCAST CLOSE: Thank you for listening to the Live Yes! With Arthritis podcast, produced as a public service by the Arthritis Foundation. Get show notes and other episode details at arthritis.org/podcast. Review, rate and recommend us wherever you get your podcasts, on Apple, Spotify and other platforms. This podcast and other life-changing Arthritis Foundation programs, resources and services are made possible in part by generous donors like you. Consider making a gift to support our work at arthritis.org/donate. We appreciate you listening. And please join us again!