Tonya Horton is aChronic Strength Champion, which means she doesn’t just take control of her pain — she battles back. Read to learn how Tonya has found ways to overcome her osteoarthritis.
I’ll never forget the surprised look on my new doctor’s face when she entered the examination room four years ago.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” she said. “Your X-rays show the knees of a 70-year-old woman.”
Yes, my osteoarthritis diagnosis was a surprise. But it shouldn’t have been. Osteoarthritis (OA) disproportionately impacts women — especially women of color. It isn’t uncommon for a Black woman like me to develop osteoarthritis, but this isn’t universally known.
That’s why I am dedicated to sharing my story to uplift other OA patients who may not know they have access to resources and the support of others who understand what they’re going through. I’ve turned this passion into conducting research on the inequities in patient care experienced by women of color. We still have a long way to go, but I’ve found that the more I can share my story, the better.
My journey through pain
四年后，我有好有坏，但很少有“不疼”的日子。为了帮助减少糟糕的日子，我找到了控制疼痛的策略。这是一段旅程——但我尽我所能控制我的痛苦，这样我就可以按照自己的方式生活。
My medication options are limited due to allergies, so I’ve had to learn complementary methods of pain management — a ton of which I learned through the Arthritis Foundation’se-Books; my favorite isCoping & Comfort那里有很多关节炎患者的第一手建议。
I’ve also found that stress can make my symptoms even worse, so one thing I started doing is meditating. Whether it’s a one-minute or five-minute meditation, I find taking a few minutes out of the day to reset can help ground me, take my mind off my pain or help me feel a little better after a sleepless night.
As another form of self-care, I practice yoga as often as I can. Hatha yoga, especially, has been great for my pain relief because it helps me move and stretch in ways I never could’ve imagined.
In addition to making tweaks to my daily routine, I had to make big lifestyle changes to accommodate my situation: I relocated to a single-story home to avoid using stairs and purchased an arthritis-friendly car to make my day-to-day easier.
Support from others
Right after my diagnosis, I was hesitant to open up about my arthritis to others — even to my family. It may seem backwards, but I found strength by first connecting with total strangers. I’ve found community through the Arthritis Foundation, and now I’m a member of their Patient Leadership Council. Talking about my story with others who “get it” has given me the confidence to talk to my family, friends and co-workers. There areLive Yes! Connect Groupsin a lot of places, completely run by volunteers. People come together virtually and in person, when safe to do so, to share stories.
Another way I find support is through the newVim app我希望我第一次被诊断时就有这个工具。通过这个应用程序，我可以关注我的身体疼痛，同时评估我的心理健康。在处理像关节炎这样的身体衰弱疾病时，心理健康通常不是首要考虑的问题，这款应用的社交网络组件让我与更多面临类似战斗的人联系起来。
At the end of the day, my biggest mantra is I don’t have to sacrifice the fullness of my life because I have arthritis. For those living with a chronic illness, they sometimes reduce their life to the bare minimum, but I refuse to do that. I can, and do, live a full life with arthritis.
