What is it and why should you do it? Advocacy. It can be a scary word and an even scarier thing to do. What does it truly mean to advocate? Sure, the dictionary says it’s “public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy,” but how does that...
It can be daunting researching medical information online. It’s easy for a quick google search of your symptoms to lead you to spend hours on your phone, doom scrolling through articles that leave you believing worst-case scenarios and crawling with anxiety about...
Has someone ever asked you what it feels like to live with a spondyloarthritic condition and you’re just at a loss for words? Sometimes it feels like SpA is impossible to explain and people on the outside will never understand. Some say “if you know, you know” but in...
Drawing how you visualize your condition can be extremely powerful. Art can be used as a therapy and has shown to lead to increased quality of life ⁽¹⁾. It can also help healthcare professionals understand the experience of health and illness ⁽¹⁾. Additionally, art...
It is no secret that SpA can have an effect on your employment and work life. In our 2020 Quality of Life Survey, 40.8% said that they are working full-time, including self-employment. 2.4% were on short-term disability and 15.8% were on long-term disability. We've...
How to have a healthy sex life while living with SpondyloarthritisChanges in your sex life is often an overlooked consequence of living with arthritis. Difficulties in washing the dishes, vacuuming the floors or walking up and down stairs are common points of...
Learn to navigate your post secondary education while living with Spondyloarthritis.Navigating post-secondary education in itself can be challenging. Moving away from home, making new friends, declaring a major and balancing your social life, relationships and school...
Let’s be real, young adults tend to have busy lives, whether it’s school or work, social events or family obligations, many of us have a full schedule. It can be difficult to manage this when adding doctor’s appointments, medical procedures, flare ups and everything...
I want every young person to know that arthritis doesn’t have to derail your life. Ten years ago, after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology at the age of 21 I was feeling excited and optimistic about my future. I was hired for my first full time job as a research assistant and I was loving my new position.
My journey with arthritis started at only 2 years of age. Random rashes turned into inexplicable sore joints and fatigue. Years and many medical appointments later, I was (finally) diagnosed at the age of 11 with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis as well as...