How You Can Embrace Self-Compassion with a Chronic Illness
Red, swollen joints, chronic pain, a stiffness that limits your mobility… Arthritis comes in more than 100 forms, but almost all these rheumatic conditions have two things in common: inflammation and stiffness.
Inflammation is a natural defense mechanism of the body, to detect and get rid off harmful invaders like viruses. But when the immune system malfunctions, it can mistakenly attack its own tissues. This uncontrolled inflammation could then damage joints and internal organs, resulting in pain and stiffness. These symptoms can make it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to do daily activities like walking, climbing the stairs, chopping food or writing by hand.
Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States. And it’s not just old people who suffer from these painful and debilitating disorders – even kids have to fight juvenile arthritis every day.
Take a look at this infographic from Geriatric Nursing to learn more about arthritis and joint pain.
Thank you GeriatricNursing.org for providing this insightful infographic!
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like:
