Celebrities With Arthritis

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has been treated for arthritis that surfaced just before the U.S. Open and left him in so much pain he couldn't walk. Mickelson revealed he has psoriatic arthritis, which causes his immune system to attack his joints and tendons. He noticed the first symptoms five days before the U.S. Open, and the pain eventually got so bad he made a visit to the Mayo Clinic. "I'm surprised at how quickly it's gone away, and how quickly it's been able to be managed and controlled," he said. "I feel 100 percent, like I say. But when I (was) laying there on the couch and I (couldn't) move, yeah, I had some concerns. But I feel a lot better now."

Kathleen Turner

The sexy Hollywood actress who is best known for her part in the film romancing the stone has had to live with Rheumatoid Arthritis since the 90s. To treat her disease she takes Celebrex with Minocycline and it seems to be working for her. Now in better health than she has been in years her high spirits are returning and she is just as beautiful as ever.

Shaquille O'Neal Believe it or not, NBA superstar Shaquille ONeal has been suffering from osteoarthritis for over a decade. ONeal claims that the arthritis in his right big toe was caused by excessive running and jumping due to his 71 / 320- lb. frame.

Lucille Ball

Famed comedienne and actress Lucille Ball, most known for her corky yet loveable character Lucy on the hit TV show I Love Lucy, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was just a teenager. Although Lucy endured excruciating pain as a result of the disease, she continued to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, and eventually became a household name in television history.

Tiger Woods

Shortly after winning the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods announced he was sitting out the rest of the PGA tour to have ACL reconstruction surgery on his left knee. ``I had been playing in pain most of the year and felt it was time to take care of it,'' Woods said. Woods may just be setting himself up for debilitating arthritis in the future.

Dorothy Hamill

Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2000. During her ice skating career, she also suffered from depression due to her battle with arthritis. Once Hamill started receiving treatment for her condition, she vowed to continue to stay active by skating 5 times a week in order to manage the pain.

Kobe Bryant The middle knuckle on that critical finger on Kobe Bryants shooting hand is so debilitated by arthritis after the past season of misuse and overuse that there may be no real way to fix it. Bryant will consult with specialists to figure out his options, but arthritis is not a problem that can just be cleaned up with arthroscopic surgery or wished away with a little rest.

Bruce Jenner Bruce Jenner may be most known for his 1976 Olympic decathlon record of 8,634 points, which still holds today. Many years ago a knee injury, that forced him to stop playing football, pushed his budding athletic career in another directionthe decathlonand Olympic history. Ironically, Olympic training precipitated his arthritis.Between that first knee surgery in 1969 and another one after fooling around on my motocross bike in 1977, the old knee is gone, he says. The good news is that I only have the arthritis in my knee.Jenner reminds Americans that all types of arthritis can be minimized through early awareness. Consistency in exercise and a relatively healthy diet are key, he says. I set the example for my 10 children and Im loving it.

James Coburn

Academy Award winner James Coburn, who appeared in over 70 films during his 45-year career, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years. Due to his debilitating pain from the disease, Coburn was forced to put his career on hold. Eventually Coburn took matters into his own hands by focusing on a treatment plan which consisted of deep tissue massages. The late actor also credited electromagnetic treatments for curing his disease.

Kristy McPherson

Kristy McPherson first picked up a golf club at age 7. She faced her toughest opponent at age 11 when she was diagnosed with Stills disease, now called systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors told me that I should find something else to do other than sports, she says. Instead, she turned to the game she could play with minimum pain. Since appearing on the The Big Break, the three-time All-American collegiate golfer has earned a spot on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (LPGA).

Dave Prowse (Darth Vader)

Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vadar in Star Wars, has suffered from arthritis for much of his life. That has led to replacements of both hips and his ankle being fused, as well as several revisionary surgeries on his hip replacements. Prowse's arthritic symptoms first appeared at age 13, but seemingly disappeared when he took up competitive weightlifting. However, they reappeared in 1990.