![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/hands.jpg\")
Marium Wheeler has dealt with severe arthritis in her hands for more than seven years. Her fingers are so affected they appear mangled.<\/p>\nMarium Wheeler has dealt with severe arthritis in her hands for more than seven years. Her fingers are so affected they appear mangled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t do simple tasks,\u201d the 72 year old grandmother of six said. She is excellent physical shape, with no heart trouble<\/a> and and no weight complications. \u201cI can\u2019t button my own shirt, I can\u2019t lift my grandchildren, the list of things I can\u2019t do outweighs the things I can.\u201d<\/p>\n While Wheeler is on several medications to alleviate the symptoms, it\u2019s still something she has to deal with everyday. She is one of 21 million Americans that deal with arthritis.<\/p>\n A new study looked at the toll this debilitating disorder can take on quality of life.<\/p>\n Arthritis, creating hurdles in life<\/strong> Researchers believe this survey should encourage doctors to create a treatment plan that does more than help with joint pain.<\/p>\n Looking for answers<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ll do whatever I can to have my life back,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen my hands started to flair up with arthritis I had no idea it would be this bad. I had no idea it would literally change the way I live my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Wheeler says she optimist about her new treatment plan and hopes for some relief.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marium Wheeler has dealt with severe arthritis in her hands for more than seven years. Her fingers are so affected they appear mangled. \u201cI can\u2019t do simple tasks,\u201d the 72 year old grandmother of six said. She is excellent physical shape, with no heart trouble and and no weight complications. \u201cI can\u2019t button my own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-health-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\nThe survey, published in Arthritis Care and Research, showed 27% of people with arthritis reported fair or poor overall health. Adults were likely to have multiple days\u00a0a month where their condition stopped them from doing what they wanted. This effected their overall mood, diminishing happiness<\/a> and increasing depression.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/hands2.jpg\")
\u201cGiven the projected high prevalence of arthritis in the U.S., interventions should address both physical health and mental health,\u201d Researcher Sylvia Furner, MPH, PhD, of the school of public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago said\u00a0in a news release.<\/p>\n
\nWheeler did go back to her doctor to talk about her arthritis and she is now using a new treatment plan with different medications and exercises that may strengthen her hands.<\/p>\n