arthritis is so much more than just a few aches and pains

when rachel gehue was referred to a pediatric rheumatologist, she was already experiencing pain and swelling in her ankles. the symptoms that first appeared after having her spleen removed seem to resolve without treatment, but weeks later, returned. she was eventually diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis , an autoimmune disease that affects less than one per cent of her peers.

gehue, now 26, is one of six million people who currently live with one of the 100 types of arthritis , with osteoarthritis being the most diagnosed in canada. it affects roughly 20 per cent of the population and one in five canadians have the disease — females appear to be at slightly higher risk for the disease than males. arthritis presents as joint pain, swelling and stiffness and it has no cure. while pain and flareups may be managed with medication, diet and non-traditional treatment interventions, arthritis can have a profound impact on someone’s life, according to the arthritis society .

individuals with severe arthritis experience difficulties completing everyday tasks. mobility issues may hinder their independence and finding and maintaining employment could be challenging. these significant losses can impact mental health and lead to everything from anxiety and mood disorders to sleep disturbances.

gehue’s symptoms worsened during high school — to the extent that she could no longer use her right arm — making everyday tasks, such as making her bed, brushing her teeth or doing her hair impossible. in 2015, her left elbow became unusable and locked at 90 degrees for which she underwent arthroplasty , a procedure that’s used to restore joint function.

since being diagnosed, she has had fusions on both of her wrists — a procedure that joins the bones in wrists and alleviates pain, as well as talonavicular fusion , an operation that fuses the middle part of the foot and helps to restore its motion. more recently, she had splints made for some of the fingers on both of her hands to help correct swan neck deformity . over the years, gehue has had many flareups, some which were severe enough to land her in the er and in hospital for days.

the arthritis currently affects the joints in her jaw, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees and ankles, and the treatment protocol includes everything from anti-inflammatories, steroids, pain medication, vitamins and biologics — powerful drugs that are supposed to help slow down the inflammation. she tried seven different biologics before finding one that suited her.

rachel gehue says that she never expected for arthritis to impact her life to the extent that it has. supplied

the journey to finding a treatment can be long and painful

evidence suggests that once appropriate treatment is found, an individualized exercise program can benefit those with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis . bevan says while exercise may seem counterintuitive, building and maintaining muscle strength and stability is important. lower-impact activities, such as walking, swimming or yoga are recommended — while the best way to manage pain may be with topical creams or acetaminophen.

by 2040, half of the population in canada will be affected by arthritis — that’s 30 per cent more than the number of people who live with it now. it’s a number that has the arthritis society’s president and ceo trish barbato calling attention to the misconceptions of the disease itself — that only seniors are affected, and that arthritis is just simple aches and pains — when in fact, it is complex autoimmune disease that anyone can be diagnosed with, including children and people of all ages.

rachel gehue’s arthritis currently affects the joints in her jaw, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees and ankles. supplied

in april, for the first time in history, the arthritis society handed out ideator awards and $50,000 to each of the four individuals whose ideas have the potential to support people with arthritis in a meaningful way. the winners will use the funds to further develop their ideas: an app-based program for self-care, symptom and disease tracking, insoles that use smart technology to help those with knee and hip osteoarthritis, a diagnostic tool for knee osteoarthritis, and an assistive device for people with limited hand mobility.