Dim lights early. Use heat for pain. Write it out. Breathe slow.
Can’t sleep? Reset. Wake up same time.

Rest still counts. Even when sleep doesn’t come.

#ChronicPain

Healthcare cuts aren’t theoretical—they’re already impacting coverage, access, and state budgets.

New episode of The Health Advocates breaks down:
• Medicaid funding cuts
• HHS restructuring
• What it means for patients right now

🎧 ghlf.org/the-health-a...

#HealthPolicy #Medicaid #PatientAccess

Do you still have symptoms from Graves' disease — even with treatment? You're not alone, and your experience matters.
We're looking for people living with difficult-to-treat Graves' disease to take a short poll.
Get started: www.research.net/r/P2ZNC3G?SV

Think it's just an ingrown hair... again? If bumps keep coming back in the same spot, grow larger over time, and never fully heal — that's not typical. It could be a sign of HS. Find out if you could be at risk
👉 ghlf.org/hscheck/?utm...
#HSAwareness #HidradenitisSuppurativa #SkinHealth

One of the hardest parts of living with a chronic illness?
Saying no to plans—even when you really want to go.

You’re not alone—and there are ways to navigate it without guilt.

Here’s how to say no without guilt:
creakyjoints.org/living-with-...

#chronicillness #spoonie #invisibleillness

COVID Antivirals: Are High-Risk Patients Missing the Window? Dr. Robert Popovian and Angela Degrassi discuss new CDC findings, GHLF survey data, and why high-risk patients may still be missing timely COVID treatment.
Listen now: ghlf.org/healthcarema...

Calling all myositis warriors 💙
Get a free Myositis Wellness Guide with resources to help you manage flares, support your energy, and navigate daily life.
🔗 creakyjoints.org/education/my...
#myositis #raredisease #chronicillness

Managing Graves’ disease isn’t always straightforward.
Get a free Graves’ Disease Wellness Guide with:
• Day-to-day symptom tips
• Nutrition support
• Mental health resources
• Practical strategies for daily life

🔗 creakyjoints.org/education/gr...

#gravesdisease

We want to hear from you.
If you’ve experienced:
• Frequent painful attacks
• Tophi (lumps under the skin)
• Joint damage
Your story can help improve care for others.
⏱️ Takes 2 minutes:
www.surveymonkey.com/r/goutjourney
#Gout #ChronicIllness #PatientVoice #Healthcare

Graves’ disease is more than an overactive thyroid—it can impact your vision, energy, sleep, and more.
Learn the symptoms, causes, and treatment options so you can better understand what’s happening and what to do next.
🔗 Read more: creakyjoints.org/education/what-is-graves-disease/
#GravesDisease

“But you don’t look sick.”

Sometimes the hardest part of chronic illness
is not being believed.

What you see isn’t the full story.
What you don’t see is what they’re fighting every day.

A little more understanding goes a long way.

#ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness

Your Evening Routine with Arthritis: 20 Tips to Make It Easier Learn more about the biggest challenges at night for people with arthritis and tips for reducing pain and fatigue to better manage arthritis symptoms.

Evenings can be one of the hardest times when you’re living with a chronic illness.

Pain, stiffness, and fatigue often build throughout the day — making it harder to relax, move, or sleep.

Here are practical ways to make your evening routine easier 👇

creakyjoints.org/living-with-...

In our latest episode of #TheHealthAdvocates, we speak with Biosplice CEO Erich Horsley and CMO Dr. Yusuf Yazici about:
• What an NDA is
• What happens during FDA review
• What osteoarthritis patients should realistically expect

🎧 Listen: omny.fm/shows/the-he...
#Osteoarthritis

No disease is too rare to care. February 28 is Rare Disease Day.

Over 300 million people worldwide live with one of 7,000+ rare diseases.

Many face delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options, and barriers to care.

#RareDiseaseDay #PatientAdvocacy #RareDisease #HealthEquity

Rest is not laziness.
It’s part of managing your health.

Taking intentional breaks, pacing your energy, and listening to early signals from your body are strategies — not weaknesses.

This weekend, give yourself permission to slow down before your body has to slow you down.

The 11 Moods of Rheumatoid Arthritis — and How I’ve Learned to Cope with Them Learn about one RA patient’s struggle with the mental health issues that come with rheumatoid arthritis, and she learned to cope with her depression and emotions.

“I was told, ‘It’s just arthritis. You’ll be fine.’”

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease — not “just” joint pain.

Beyond inflammation and flares, RA affects mood, mental health, fatigue, and daily function.

Here are the 11 moods of RA — and how to cope:
creakyjoints.org/living-with-...

Today is World Day of the Sick.

For millions living with chronic illness, “sick” isn’t a day — it’s daily life.

We see you. We advocate for you. We stand with you.

How I Broke the Vicious Cycle of Sleep Struggles and Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain “While my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was responsible for a lot of my sleep problems, at the same time, getting poor sleep was also making my arthritis worse,” says Eileen Davidson, who has RA and osteo...

Sleep and Rheumatoid Arthritis Create a Vicious Cycle. Here’s How I Broke It and Finally Got Some Rest:
🔗 creakyjoints.org/living-with-...

Congress passed a major funding bill with big implications for patients—from telehealth to drug costs.

But not all questions are settled.

On #TheHealthAdvocates we have the break down
Listen now: ghlf.org/the-health-advocates/#episode190

#HealthPolicy #PatientsFirst

Flu vaccines protect more than individual health.

As economist Dr. Wayne Winegarden breaks down, higher adult vaccination rates are directly linked to fewer hospitalizations, lower mortality, and billions saved in avoidable economic losses. Tune in:
ghlf.org/healthcarema...
#vaccines #vaccineswork

How much does the flu really cost the U.S.?
According to new research, it’s tens of billions of dollars, and vaccination rates play a major role in how high that number climbs. Higher vaccination rates don’t just save money; they save lives.

ghlf.org/healthcarema...

RA is also linked to other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, lung complications, osteoporosis, and mental health challenges, making early diagnosis and proper treatment critical.

Common misconceptions about RA:
• It only affects older adults (RA can develop at any age)
• It’s caused by overuse or lifestyle choices (it’s autoimmune)
• It only impacts joints (can affect the heart, lungs, eyes, and more)
• If you “look fine,” you must be fine (RA symptoms are often invisible)

February 2 is Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day.

RA is an autoimmune disease—not just joint pain. It can affect the heart, lungs, eyes, and more, often invisibly. Early diagnosis, proper care, and believing patients matter.

#RheumatoidArthritis #RAAwarenessDay #AutoimmuneDisease #PatientAdvocacy

Living carefully is not the same as living small.
It’s survival with intention. 🫂

Despite flares, exhaustion, being unseen and a broken healthcare system. Still showing up.
#chronicillnessawareness #spoonies

27 Things You Understand Only If You Live with Chronic Pain Learn more about what it’s really like to live with chronic pain from patients with various kinds of arthritis and chronic pain conditions.

“Daily chores turn into all-day chores—when you have #ChronicPain… I feel really embarrassed that basic things are so painful for me and my family doesn’t get it. Sorting clothes/getting a sheet on a bed feel like a medieval torture device.”

creakyjoints.org/support/thin...

‘Listening to Your Body’ Is Not Easy with Multiple Chronic Illnesses — Here Are 6 Ways I Do It Learn more about how rheumatoid arthritis and chronic illness patient Jennifer Walker learned to listen to her body as a form of self-care.

“I present the issue as a need — not a #request. I don’t downplay it as some personal quirk. Putting it out there allows those around us to #accommodate us in a way that works..without making them guess or us feel minimized.”: buff.ly/8r71n7Y

via @creakyjoints.bsky.social
#ChronicIllness #spoonies

Weekend tip: YOU DON'T HAVE TO PROVE YOUR ILLNESS TO
IGNORANT PEOPLE. 🫂😅
#spoonie

How You Can Support Someone with a Chronic Illness (and Some Real Advice on How *Not* To) Learn more about what to do and say to help and support people living with chronic illnesses and what to avoid that can make people feel worse.

How you can support someone with a Chronic Illness (and some real advice on how *not* to)
Start by avoiding ableism and toxic positivity.
👉 Read more 👇
creakyjoints.org/support/how-...
#chronicillness