When a celebrity comes forward to publicly reveal a health problem, there is increased awareness of the medical condition, almost instantly. That's especially true if the condition was previously unfamiliar to most. On July 12, 2014, People.com reported that actress Kristen Johnston has been diagnosed with lupus myelitis. That is, after consulting 17 doctors, months of tests, and a leave of absence from work. She is most famous for her role in the television series 3rd Rock From the Sun.

Following his win as "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" for his work in the movie "Affliction", veteran actor James Coburn, 70, spoke of overcoming a 15-year battle with rheumatoid arthritis when he was interviewed backstage at the Oscars in March (1999). The arthritis community was stirred by claims Coburn made and people clamored to learn about the treatment he mentioned.

Actress Kathleen Turner once proclaimed: 'On a night when I feel really good about myself, I can walk into a room, and if a man doesn't look at me, he's probably gay.'

It's the kind of provocative statement that could have been delivered by any one of the smouldering yet tough-as-old-boots vixens she has played in films such as Body Heat, Romancing The Stone and The Jewel Of The Nile.

Although she was one of the most bankable Hollywood stars of the 1980s, today Kathleen, 60, is the first to admit her days as a big-screen leading lady are behind her. Instead she has had to contend with the ravages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the bloating side effects of powerful medication and multiple surgeries used to treat it.

Back in the good old days, I played bass fiddle in a a five-member band. At that time, three of our band members or their relatives were using an herb known as stinging nettle to relieve arthritis pain. Although stinging nettle does cook up into a tasty vegetable, these musicians weren't eating it. Rather, they were stinging themselves with it by grasping the plant in a gloved hand and then swatting their stiff, swollen joints.

This practice, called urtication — from nettle's botanical name, Urtica dioca — dates back at least 2,000 years. Although it's an odd-sounding practice, there's no escaping the fact that it's been around so long precisely because it helps so many people.

For millions of Americans who have some form of arthritis or a related disease, pain is chronic, or long-lasting. Technically, pain is considered chronic when it lasts three to six months or longer, but arthritis pain can last a lifetime. It may be consistent, or it can come and go. Repetitive motion, such as typing at a keyboard for hours or walking through the mall during holiday shopping season can cause pain.

Please like and share Donnee Spencer’s RA awareness Butterfly.