Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints and synovial fluid of the joint (CDC, 2010). According to the CDC, in 2005 1.5 million people in the USA were affected with RA. It’s a disease that presently cannot be cured and treatment is not always effective. RA inflames the infected joints and with inflammation comes chronic pain (CDC, 2010). In addition to pain to the joints, RA makes it harder to use them. It can affect people at any age and is not age specific. This is problematic for Athletic Directors because the pain has to be dealt with while working in an often physically challenging environment.

The Disease Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually