Petros Efthimiou

2 months ago | self.com | Sarah Klein |Petros Efthimiou

Learning you have a life-changing condition is likely alarming no matter what. But if you have axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a chronic form of arthritis that dramatically increases your risk of fracturing your spine, the diagnosis also comes with a second helping of fear. Here, two rheumatologists lay out steps you can take to protect your back and perhaps tamp down some of your anxiety about getting hurt.

Jan 6, 2025 | self.com | Petros Efthimiou |Alice Oglethorpe

Content developed independently by our editors and supported by our partners. When your back starts aching, you might immediately think of the usual culprits—picking up that 50-pound bag of dog food, working from the sofa most days instead of an ergonomic desk chair—but there’s something else that could be to blame: axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA).

Mar 29, 2024 | self.com | Amy Norton |Petros Efthimiou

There’s nothing quite like vertigo—the sensation that the world is suddenly spinning around you and basically trying to knock you over (and maybe succeeding). It can be a frightening experience and, if you have psoriatic arthritis (PsA), not uncommon. Elizabeth Madeiros, 27, vividly remembers her first vertigo spell. It hit her in the middle of a busy train station when she was heading home from a long work day—tired and already not feeling great because of a PsA flare.

Mar 1, 2024 | self.com | Petros Efthimiou |Carolyn Todd

If you live with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and are planning on—or even just considering—becoming pregnant, you might be a little nervous. Maybe you’re worried that your swollen, achy joints will feel even worse, or are concerned about whether you can keep taking your PsA medications.

Feb 21, 2024 | self.com | Petros Efthimiou |Erica Sweeney

Anyone’s muscles can feel a little cramped after an especially tense workday—maybe from being hunched over a laptop, glued to a rigid chair, standing for hours, or even squeezing a stress ball for dear life. But as bad as the average person might feel by the end of the day, for Caitlin West, that soreness starts the second she clocks in. That’s because she lives with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).