In a sun-dappled dance studio with floor-to-ceiling windows in Summit, NJ, Teresa D'Angelo is leading a class full of female students through a series of graceful, flowing moves. They raise their arms to the sky and sway side to side, their heads tossed back with abandon. They bow down towards their bare feet, sweeping their hands along the floor as if gathering leaves from a garden, then transition into a series of sensual shoulder rolls.
Now, the pace changes. DAngelo, who rocks a blonde pixie cut and has a radiant, infectious smile, begins performing a series of sidekicks, upward blocks, and other martial arts-inspired moves. The women follow along, full of fierce determination, but the grins never once leaving their faces. After 60 minutes, they end class in a warm group embrace, beaming and trading words of support and encouragement.
After everyone had gone home, DAngelo spends a bit more time in the studio, this time dancing solo. In her hands is a pumpkin-colored silk scarf, which she traces through the air as she completes a series of balletic twirls, dipping down low then rising up on her tiptoes. With the sun streaming in and the scarf billowing in the air, she looks like a triumphant butterfly.
You would never know that several years prior, DAngelo spent her days lying on a couch in her living room, racked by excruciating joint pain and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She needed a cane to make it to another room and moved up and down the stairs by scooting on her bottom. Turning a doorknob was impossible.One day, she caught sight of herself hunched over in a mirror and thought, Oh my God, is this what the rest of my life is going to be like?
The answer, she ultimately decided: Hell, no. This is the story of her transformation, made possible by a chance encounter with a doctor and a decision DAngelo, now 58, made to listen to her body and start moving the way it wanted to.
In 2005, DAngelo was working for an international accounting and consulting firm in a job that paid well but required sitting at a desk for up to 10 hours a day and left her feeling boxed in and spiritually stifled. None of this was a great fit for the former ballet dancer who, as a young girl in the 70s, had aspired to become a prima ballerina. Her hopes were extinguished at the age of 15 by an instructor named Miss J, who always wore black leotards, black rock-star eyeliner, and raised her voice a lot. If she yelled at you, it meant she took interest, DAngelo recalls. I don't remember being yelled at a lot.
After that, she threw her energy into high school and college, where she discovered a new love, communications. She was a radio DJ in undergrad, a weekend weather anchor while earning her masters degree, and later, a managing editor. Im not shy, but Ive always been on the quieter side, so I loved how these jobs gave me the chance to speak out and communicate with many people at once, she says.
In May of 2005 DAngelo began experiencing some brain fog. I was having trouble absorbing information and struggling to react quickly at work, which was impacting my job because it was a stressful, high-performing environment, DAngelo recalls now. After a few months of mental fuzziness, another bizarre symptom hit. One day I noticed some swelling and pain in my left foot, she says. It came out of nowhere.
She told her naturopathic doctor, who directed her to a primary-care doctor, who in turn suggested she see a rheumatologist. That specialist diagnosed DAngelo with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), an autoimmune disease characterized by joint pain and stiffness plus psoriasis, a skin condition that causes red lesions that can burn, sting, or itch. (DAngelo didnt have lesions, but says her doctor based the diagnosis on bloodwork and her description of her pain. Some patients with PsA dont have the skin component.)
The doctor prescribed a biologic medication, a type of potent anti-inflammatory. DAngelo, who had for decades relied on herbal tinctures, green juices, probiotic-rich foods and other alternative therapies to maintain her health, initially balked at the suggestion. But when even her naturopathic doctor said he didnt think he could help her, DAngelo filled the prescription and, to her surprise and delight, began to feel better. The relief, she says, made her a bit cocky and she stopped taking the drug without asking her physician. It turned out to be the wrong move.
By the fall of 2005, pain and swelling began to hit her wrists and knees. The fact that her new symptoms were double-sided did not go unnoticed by her doctors. They said rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the joints symmetrically, but psoriatic arthritic tends to be just one-sided. That, along with further bloodwork, prompted DAngelos rheumatologist to change her diagnosis to RA and prescribe prednisone.
The powerful steroid worked intermittentlyDAngelo, at this point 43 years old, would have good days, going to work and the gym and playing catch outside with her son, Michaeland bad days, where her knees would swell with fluid, forcing her to use a cane.
At a routine appointment with her naturopath (I was still throwing everything I could at my RA in addition to my medication, she says), DAngelos doctor, noticing her increasing stiffness, said: You need to start moving your body. What do you like to do? She mentioned that she used to be a dancer. That prompted him to mention a movement-based mind-body practice called Nia.
Blending movements and philosophies from the worlds of dance, martial arts, and mindfulness, Nia is a non-impact workout thats performed barefoot, set to a diverse array of music (Latin, Jazz, Indian, and hip-hop, to name a few), and based on the premise that health can be discoveredor re-discoveredthrough conscious, meditative movement.
Exhilarated by the notion, DAngelo took a Nia class and instantly fell in love with it. It was like nothing Id ever done before. In ballet, I was always told exactly how to move. In Nia, youre given permission to move exactly how your body tells you.
During that first class, DAngelo noticed her body soften. The pain and stiffness were still there, but I felt peaceful and connected to myself. A sense of joy and relief flooded her body. I thought, Oh my gosh, Im moving again.
With more classes came more self-discovery and introspectionand some RA symptom relief. Like so many people, I started life as a vibrant soul with fantastic dreams and a creative imagination. But over time, the real me, the passionate and lively me, started to become quiet. My voice shut down and my body soon followed.
Now, dabbling in Nias 52 classic moveswhich at times resemble belly dancing, tai chi, ballet, and even salsa dancingthe old DAngelo was back. Through these shapes and movements, I could say and show what was going on inside of me. I was expressing through my body what had been bottled inside for many yearsmy voice.
Her love of dance rekindled, DAngelo signed up to become a Nia instructor herself. She made it halfway through her weeklong training in November of 2005, only to be sidelined by pain. I was on the floor of the studio, crying because it hurt to move, and a trainer, who I loved, said, Its OK, dont push yourself. Rest. It will be OK. Devastated, she reluctantly pulled out of training.
In early 2006, after a few months of rest combined with home Nia practice (I would pull myself together and practice one routine a night), DAngelo became officially certified as a Nia White Belt Instructor. (Like martial arts, Nia certification levels involve different colored belts). She soon began teaching a regular Saturday class at a local wellness center. Her dance dreams were finally coming to fruition.
One night shortly thereafter, DAngelo woke up screaming in pain. It felt like razor blades were cutting my wrists from the inside, she says. As her new husband Mike (they had married in August) tried to comfort her, she prayed out loud, begging for relief.
This cycle was the first of many highs and lows that were to come over the next two years, as DAngelo continued working for her firm and teaching Nia on Saturdays. On one hand, she had the satisfaction of knowing she was helping other womensome living with chronic illnessfind a release from stress, and often pain (many Nia practitioners discover the class during a chronic-pain journey). On the other hand, she would spend weeks off and on steroids and never knew when the inflammation would hit. I could have a great class one day, tons of energy, no pain, then wake up the next morning and have trouble getting out of bed.
Things took a turn for the worse between 2008 and 2011. Her wrists and occasionally ankles hurt. Her knee needed to be drained with a needle every few weeks to release fluid build-up. A headache so bad she feared it was a brain tumor sent her to the emergency room. When travelling on firm business, shed leave team dinners early to go to bed and strategically wore a neoprene arm brace so colleagues and new associates wouldnt shake her hand, as doing so would leave me screeching in pain. She took three leaves of absence from work between 2005-2011.
In 2011, after several months of being couch-bound and unable to teach Nia, let alone work, DAngelo had a doctors appointment. She was surprised to learn her rheumatologist was out and shed be seeing a different specialist that day. That fresh set of eyes turned out to be a blessing for DAngelo. She said, Lets take you off these high doses of prednisone and try to find another medication that actually will help you.
The next few months were spent experimenting with multiple RA drugs. No luck. Then, in January of 2012, the doctor wanted to try yet another. The whole process had been intimidating. But so was the thought of not being able to sway and twirl and be in her body the way Nia allowed her to be.
At home that day, lying on the couch, I remember asking God, What do you want me to do? she recalls. And like a waterfall of calm, I felt the words, Take the medicine wash over me.
Around the same time, a friend who is an integrative psychotherapist visited Teresa at home. She asked me, What is your vision of yourself? I said, I see myself as a ballet dancer, leaping over the moon. DAngelos friend replied, Hold that vision.
Together, those two key events convinced her to try the new treatment.Slowly, she began feeling less fatigued. Her joint inflammation lessened. Her pain reduced. By March, about two months after starting, she started to feel like herself again and was cleared by her rheumatologist to return to work.
Just a few days later, she received a call from human resources; she was being laid off. DAngelos response?
I put the phone on mute, pumped my fist, and said YES! That job had been so stressful for so many years. I thought maybe now I could start helping people who were like me and show them how to use movement to regain their life and wellness. Maybe, she thought, she could even turn it into a business.
In 2014, she launched Live Love Move, a company based in her hometown of Summit, NJ that offers mindful movement classes, workshops, and retreats for women, particularly those living with chronic pain. Now a first-degree black-belt instructor and certified massage instructor whos also working on her certification in dance movement therapy, DAngelo works with students who range from teachers and nurses to CEOs and stay-at-home moms. When they start to move, they sometimes cry simply because the act of lifting your hands to the sky can feel so empowering and releasing, she describes. The trauma of their illness has been locked inside. Now, they feel heard and seen.
DAngelo, is still taking the same medicine and is more or less pain-free. She does have osteoporosis in her right hip, which her doctor believes is a result of years of steroid use, and occasional morning stiffness, which she describes as crankiness in my knees and wrists.
Nutrition plays a big role in her life; she follows an anti-inflammatory diet, avoids gluten and tries to limit sugar to what she gets from fruit. My doctor tells me: Whatever youre doing, keep doing it.
Equally important has been recasting her RA diagnosis as a gift, something she says took her nearly a decade to do. Ultimately, though, the pain of not being able to move, of believing my body betrayed me, it helped me to seek and find the gift of my voice through dance. I not only feel better physically, but I handle stress better. Now, its my mission to educate and inspire othersanybody who hasnt moved in a long time or wants to move differently.
When meeting with a new group, she usually kicks things off with these words: Hi, Im Teresa DAngelo. I help support people who are in pain to help them feel better through healing movement. Even if you can just move a finger, ankle, or toe, know that pain is not the end of your story.
View post:
How One Woman Found Freedom From RA - HealthCentral.com
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 26 Houston - May 5th, 2024
- The best products for arthritis in hands 2024 - National Geographic - May 5th, 2024
- Analysis Strongly Supports Turmeric Supplementation to Improve Arthritis and Osteopenia - Good News Network - May 5th, 2024
- May is arthritis awareness month - SSM Health - May 5th, 2024
- Lower CVD Risk With Stable DMARD Therapy in Seropositive RA - Medscape - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Pain: Which Vitamins and Minerals Are Best? - Shape Magazine - May 5th, 2024
- Psoriatic Arthritis Triggers: Stress, Illness, Weather and More - Health Central - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritis Foundation Partners with Target to Produce Ease of Use Design Guides for Product and Packaging Design - AccessWire - May 5th, 2024
- MSPCA seeks donations to help offset cost of surgery for German shepherd with severe arthritis - Boston News ... - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH... - May 5th, 2024
- Team USA diver from The Woodlands fights juvenile arthritis - FOX 5 Atlanta - May 5th, 2024
- May 18: It's time to Walk to Cure Arthritis - Manchester Ink Link - May 5th, 2024
- Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis And Other Common Myths Debunked - Onlymyhealth - May 5th, 2024
- Fast Five Quiz: The Role of Joint Replacement Surgery in PsA - Page 2 - Medscape Reference - May 5th, 2024
- Arthritic Therapeutic Market Poised to Surpass $136.1+ Billion Globally by 2032, Fueled by a 5.5% CA - PharmiWeb.com - May 5th, 2024
- Pharmacist explains best diet to reduce arthritis, inflammation and joint pain - The Mirror - March 10th, 2024
- Teen Raises Funds to Fight Arthritis - Arthritis Foundation - March 10th, 2024
- Is there a higher risk of depression among specific populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis? - News-Medical.Net - March 10th, 2024
- Here's How to Explain Your Arthritis Pain to Your Doctor So They Actually Get It - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- Despite Their Prevalence, Arthritis, Neck and Back Pain Receive Few Research Dollars, Analysis Finds | BIDMC of ... - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical... - March 10th, 2024
- This Is the Difference Between Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis - Prescott Daily Courier - March 10th, 2024
- The #1 Early Sign of Arthritis Most People Miss, According to a Rheumatologist - Northwest Georgia News - March 10th, 2024
- The Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast in the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- MU Researchers Participating in International Clinical Study Targeting Prevention of Osteoarthritis - University of Missouri School of Medicine - March 10th, 2024
- Review: Real-World Evidence Confirms Effectiveness and Safety of Adalimumab Biosimilar SB5 - The Center for Biosimilars - March 10th, 2024
- A Gender-Bias-Mitigated, Data-Driven Precision Medicine System to Assist in the Selection of Biological Treatments of ... - Cureus - March 10th, 2024
- Young arthritis cases are on the rise, new research suggests - The Examiner - March 10th, 2024
- Quiz: ACR Guideline for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Psoriatic arthritis: What to know about medications for children - Medical News Today - February 10th, 2024
- Ancient Egyptian woman had holes on her bones. Experts say its rare case of disease - Miami Herald - February 10th, 2024
- Arthritis and Pregnancy: Fertility, Gestation, Postpartum - Verywell Health - February 10th, 2024
- 3500-year-old burial of Nubian woman reveals 1 of world's earliest known cases of rheumatoid arthritis - Livescience.com - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of frailty severity and severe pain on cognitive function for community-dwelling older adults with arthritis: a cross ... - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- IHL-675A: Advancing Towards Innovative Arthritis Solutions, with Mark Bleackley, PhD - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Insomnia, Shorter Sleep Duration Linked to the Risk of Autoimmune Arthritis - MD Magazine - February 10th, 2024
- Advancements in Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment for Children: A Beacon of Hope - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- Breakthrough Molecule RvT4 Reverses Inflammation and Clears Arterial Blockages in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients - SciTechDaily - February 10th, 2024
- Personal Experience with Psoriatic Arthritis and Atopic Dermatitis - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- EULAR Recommendations on Imaging in Crystal-Induced Arthropathies (CiA) - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- The Importance of Ultrasound-Guided Synovial Biopsy in the Workup of Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis: A Case ... - Cureus - February 10th, 2024
- Autoimmune diseases like lupus, MS, and rheumatoid arthritis strike far more women than men. Scientists now think they know why - Fortune - February 2nd, 2024
- Multiple Ulcers in the Ileum and Lymphadenopathy Following the Usage of Methotrexate in a Patient With Rheumatoid ... - Cureus - February 2nd, 2024
- These are the best arthritis creams of 2024, according to health experts - Yahoo Life - February 2nd, 2024
- Do Your Joints Ache When a Storm Is Brewing? Here's What's Really Happening - DISCOVER Magazine - February 2nd, 2024
- Olympic bronze medalist opens up about balancing arthritis with motherhood and triathlon - TRI247 - February 2nd, 2024
- Some Dinosaurs May Have Had Arthritis 90 Million Years Ago - IFLScience - February 2nd, 2024
- 3500-year-old remains of ancient Egyptian suffering from rheumatoid arthritis uncovered - Xinhua - February 2nd, 2024
- Lupus and other autoimmune diseases strike far more women than men. Now there's a clue why - The Associated Press - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day on February 2: What you need to know - CNBCTV18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day 2024: Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Prevention - News18 - February 2nd, 2024
- Improving arthritis in cold weather | Health Smart - WPMT FOX 43 - February 2nd, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day: History, Significance And All You Need To Know - ABP Live - February 2nd, 2024
- Dietary Factors Tied to Osteoarthritis Pain | MedPage Today - Medpage Today - February 2nd, 2024
- Cold-weather coping tips for people with arthritis, osteoporosis and lung diseases - Southernminn.com - February 2nd, 2024
- How to manage arthritis and joint pain: Effective tips for knee pain relief - Health shots - February 2nd, 2024
- New study illuminates the genetics of thumb arthritis treatment - News-Medical.Net - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid arthritis: 30 minutes of walking may lower blood pressure - Medical News Today - January 25th, 2024
- RA Disease Activity Assessed Too Little After Starting TNFi - Medscape - January 25th, 2024
- Lifestyle tips for youth's bone health: Avoid these habits to prevent arthritis - Hindustan Times - January 25th, 2024
- Best arthritis pain relief cream of 2024, according to experts - AOL - January 25th, 2024
- Vasculitis, an Early Unusual Presentation of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Patients with later menarche, earlier menopause have higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis - Healio - January 25th, 2024
- Investigating Maternal Inflammatory Arthritis and Pregnancy Outcomes < Yale School of Medicine - Yale School of Medicine - January 25th, 2024
- Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes: What's the Connection? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- Oxidative DNA Damage and Zinc Status in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Duhok, Iraq - Cureus - January 25th, 2024
- Changes Afoot for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis with Marked Gains in Preference and Utilization of IL-17 Inhibitors - Yahoo Finance - January 25th, 2024
- The Connection Between Potassium and Rheumatoid Arthritis - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- What Is the ACR20 (American College of Rheumatology) Criteria? - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- RA Treatment Advances and Where They Are Headed - Health Central - January 25th, 2024
- TMC Medical Minutes- Arthritis & Cold Weather - KXII - January 25th, 2024
- How to deal with joint and arthritis pain in the cold weather - Crossroads Today - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis: Regular exercises, calcium-rich diet and other habits to keep your bones strong and healthy - Moneycontrol - January 25th, 2024
- Men With Arthritis Have Higher Fertility Rates, Study Finds - Zenger.News - January 25th, 2024
- Pain on Top of Foot: 5 Causes, Swelling, Treatment - Verywell Health - January 25th, 2024
- Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women: Genetics, Hormones, and Impact - Medriva - January 25th, 2024
- Arthritis | Johns Hopkins Medicine - January 9th, 2024
- Ideal cardiovascular health metrics have better identification of arthritis - BMC Public Health - BMC Public Health - January 9th, 2024
- Acupuncture for Arthritis: Benefits and Risks - Verywell Health - January 9th, 2024
- Why do arthritic horses have more trouble during the winter? - EQUUS Magazine - January 9th, 2024
- Rather than roll over and die, I'm like, 'No, I still want to play': Steve Morse says arthritis diagnosis forced him to ... - Guitar.com - January 9th, 2024
- Top Signs that Your RA Treatment May No Longer Be Working - Health Central - January 9th, 2024