You take pride in your strength.
Sometimes, even if the joint stiffness is severe, you try to hide it. You try to mask it. You ‘suck it up,’ put on a brave face, and go on your way. Fatigue, tenderness, swelling – you know it all, all too well.
If any of this reminds you of your battle with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you’re not alone.
Caused by an autoimmune condition, RA is the most common inflammatory arthritis among Black folks, and is more likely to affect them than whites and Asians. These findings are made even more concerning by the fact that the research overwhelmingly focuses on white people.
In other words, the Black community is vastly underrepresented in the medical literature – and it shows. If your symptoms of RA aren’t improving, this may be a reason why. Doctors simply don’t know how to treat you!
Here are five reasons your RA is staying the same or getting worse…
1. Medical Biases
According to the Arthritis Foundation, Black men and women with RA are significantly less likely to get pain medicine than white patients. Now, if we’re being honest, this issue can go both ways. Sometimes, you just don’t want to admit it’s a problem. Maybe you wanna downplay it because you don’t want to feel like a victim. Perhaps, you simply don’t like taking more pills and hope it just goes away.
But other times, it’s on the doc. In fact, one major study from the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that over 90 percent of healthcare systems provided white patients greater pain relief doses than Black patients. Some believe this stems from a bias among doctors. Certain doctors may falsely believe that Black patients can handle more pain and don’t suffer the same level of discomfort as other races.
Imagine if professional sports teams do this with their athletes!
RELATED: 11 Arthritis-Friendly Tools That Make Daily Life Easier
2. Tough Labor
Blue-collar workers make the world go around. If you’ve ever worked or currently work this kind of job, you know the struggle. Underappreciated and underpaid – but overburdened! Well, turns out this is another reason your RA may not be improving.
Many physically demanding jobs are performed by Black men and women, increasing the likelihood of
