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Conference turris::womannotes-v3

Title:Topics of Interest to Women
Notice:V3 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1078
Total number of notes:52352

601.0. "Birth Control & Arthritis" by NITTY::DIERCKS (The gay 90's are back!!) Fri Dec 28 1990 11:02

    
    
    When I was home for the Christmas holidays this past weekend, I
    realized, I guess for the first time, how terrible my mother's
    arthritis has gotten.  Her hands and feet are terribly deformed.  When
    she gets up in the morning, she can hardly open the refridgerator or
    hold a cup of coffee until she spends time "limbering up" her hands. 
    She can no longer spend time just browsing through the malls because it
    is painful for her to walk, even when wearing her $400 shoes.  She has
    had several calcium nodules removed from her feet -- they just grow
    right back.  
    
    My question to the members of this community:  I seem to recall reading
    somewhere that women who took birth-control pills for an extended
    period of time seem to have a tendency to develop arthritis.  My mother
    was on birth-control for 15 years!!!!  (My brother was a breech baby
    and ripped her up pretty good.  She wasn't even supposed to have me,
    but I, thank goodneed came early and only weighed 5 pounds.  After me,
    the doctor insisted she have no more children.)  Does anyone here have
    an information regarding the birth control/arthritis connection?
    
    Thanks!
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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601.1Index Medicus?CONFG5::WALKERFri Dec 28 1990 14:3724
    I've no information at all on the connection that you mention, but
    researching it in the Index Medicus wouldn't be hard for someone who
    knows how to use this.
    
    I hope she is getting excellent medical advice.  If not, she should
    change rheumatologists.  If I were in as much pain as she is, after I
    gave standard medicine a good chance, I'd also check out alternate
    sources, such as accupuncture and M.D.'s who practice homeopathic
    medicine.  I know you didn't ask for this information -- and perhaps
    she already has TOO much advice.
    
    I read a really interesting idea, from two sources actually, one an
    alternate source (Women of Power) and one a standard medical source
    (forgotten) which said that arthritis is caused by restriction of
    movement.  That is, the arthritis doesn't just restrict movement, but
    restricted movement is an actual, probable cause.
    
    I thought this is very interesting from a feminist viewpoint, because
    I'm so aware of how I was taught to be careful how much space I took up
    and to keep my knees together and not to laugh too loud and always be
    sure to leave room for other people on bus seats, and if we're angry we
    control the size of our movements, etc.
    
    Briana
601.2pointerLEZAH::BOBBITTtrial by stoneFri Dec 28 1990 16:306
    I've never hgeard of this connection myself, but you might want to
    cross post your question in the MEDICAL notesfile (I think it's
    currently at VMSZOO::).
    
    -Jody
    
601.3another pointerATSE::FLAHERTYPeacing it togetherWed Jan 02 1991 13:086
    There is also an arthritis notesfile:
    
    	KAOA01::ARTHRITIS
    
    Ro