Live Well with Arthritis

About Live Well with Arthritis

Science, support, and stories helping you to live well with arthritis.The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast brings you expert advice, science-backed tips, and inspiring stories to help you manage your condition and feel better every day. Hosted by Emily Johnson, coach, founder of Live Well with Arthritis, bestselling author, and creator of Arthritis Foodie, the Live Well with Arthritis podcast offers science-based advice, expert interviews, and lived experience to help you live a healthier, happier life with arthritis. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, have been managing arthritis for years, or are seeking answers to ongoing symptoms, each episode explores practical ways to reduce inflammation, improve daily life, and feel more in control of your condition. With inflammation as a key focus, this podcast covers all types of arthritis, from osteoarthritis to rheumatoid, psoriatic, and more. Emily and her guests share science-backed strategies, meaningful stories, and encouragement for navigating the challenges of living with arthritis. Get small, but impactful tips, advice and implementable steps that make a real difference. Follow:@livewellwitharthritis@arthritisfoodieJoin the Live Well with Arthritis Course waitlist:https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist Buy my books: Beat Arthritis Naturally Eat Well with Arthritis View all links: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie*Not medical advice, for full disclaimer click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Live Well with Arthritis

Category

health & fitness · health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Aug 2025

Latest episode

18 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

46 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Oct 2026

   #45 Not in Your Head: Psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen on Healing Through Mind and Body

   Episode 45: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #45 Not in Your Head: Psychologist Dr Sula Windgassen on Healing Through Mind and Body Have you ever been told your symptoms are “all in your head”? Host Emily Johnson welcomes Dr Sula Windgassen, a leading health psychologist, researcher and author of It’s All In Your Body: A Practical Roadmap to Healing Through Mind-Body Connection. Sula knows this territory first-hand. After university, recurring bladder infections turned into persistent pain and symptoms that test after test couldn’t explain, leaving her depressed and without hope. A mindfulness course, explored alongside her psychiatrist dad, began to change how she related to her body and, over time, her symptoms eased, setting her on the path to a Master’s and PhD at King’s College London, research into mindfulness for multiple sclerosis and IBS, and over 30 peer-reviewed papers. In this conversation, Sula explains why it is never “all in your head”, how stress and emotions show up physically in the body, and how to rebuild trust in your body whether you’ve been dismissed, newly diagnosed or living with a chronic condition for years. Compassionate, grounded in science and full of hope. Topics covered: Sula’s Story and the Science From Patient to Psychologist Unexplained symptoms, a first mindfulness body scan, and the moment her sense of humour came back The Biopsychosocial Model Why it doesn’t mean your illness is psychological, and how allostatic load explains the wear and tear of ongoing stress Top-Down, Bottom-Up and Bioplasticity Working with both mind and body, and the body’s remarkable capacity to change Breaking the Symptom Spiral The Symptom Spiral How pain, thoughts, emotions and behaviour feed each other, and where you have choices Still Waiting for Answers? Sula’s two-track plan for advocating for yourself while looking after yourself in the meantime Rebuilding Trust in Your Body Curiosity, non-reactivity, noticing your nervous system states, and why the basics are underrated Grief, Identity and Simply Being The Grief of a Diagnosis Why grief isn’t linear, and why going back and forth doesn’t mean going backwards You Are Not Your Illness Two overlapping circles, the three phases of adjustment, and reconnecting with your values Human Doings Why rest is productive, how our phones get in the way, and Sula’s daily practice of savouring About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist (https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist) FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download (https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download) Dr Sula Windgassen @the_health_psychologist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_health_psychologist/ (https://www.instagram.com/the_health_psychologist/) Website: https://healthpsychologist.co.uk (https://healthpsychologist.co.uk) Book: It’s All In Your Body: A Practical Roadmap to Healing Through Mind-Body Connection Podcast: How We Really Feel: https://www.howwereallyfeel.com/ Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ (https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie (https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie) Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie (https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   11 Oct 2026

   #44 Wheelchair to West End: Ana Villafañe on Living with RA for 30 Years

   Episode 44: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #44 Wheelchair to West End: Ana Villafañe on Living with RA for 30 Years One in four of us live with arthritis, so why do so many of us feel like we’re the only one? Host Emily Johnson welcomes her dear friend Ana Villafañe, the actor and singer who originated the role of Gloria Estefan in Broadway’s On Your Feet! and is now making her West End debut as Ava Gardner in Sinatra: The Musical. Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at just seven years old, Ana spent months in hospital and time in a wheelchair as a child, and was told she’d never wear heels or run. Thirty years on, and four years after a hip replacement, she opens up about the parts of RA nobody sees: years of denial, the night she told Gloria Estefan the truth, stilettos on a raked stage, and the question from her rheumatologist that changed everything: “Why don’t you think you deserve to feel good?” Raw, funny and deeply moving, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone, and you’re going to be okay. Topics covered: Growing Up with RA Diagnosed at Seven Falling ill at the 1996 Olympics and first hearing the words 'juvenile rheumatoid arthritis' Not the Only One How summer camps for kids with arthritis and disabilities changed everything From Sick Girl to Showgirl Feeling like a burden, and how singing turned 'the girl who couldn’t' into the girl who could Denial, Disclosure and the Spotlight Rebranding in LA Skipping meds, hiding flares, and dating with an invisible condition 'So I Can Trust You' Telling Gloria Estefan about her RA, and eight months on Broadway without calling out Behind the Curtain Stilettos on a raked stage, compression boots, and the reality of 8 shows a week A New Hip and a New Mindset Deserving to Feel Good The question that led to a hip replacement six days after wrapping a film Visibly Disabled Again Crutches, kindness from strangers, and walking the red carpet anyway Non-Negotiables Sleep, fuel, movement and medication, and learning to run after being told she never would About the podcast: With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links: Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download Ana Villafañe @anavillafaneofficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anavillafaneofficial/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anavillafaneofficial New single, Suelta: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ghIrWV5H2CQPmcAtVB4rR Sinatra: The Musical, Aldwych Theatre, London Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   4 Oct 2026

   #43 Rage into Change: Evelyn Scott on Endometriosis, Chronic Pain, and Advocacy

   Episode 43: The Live Well with Arthritis Podcast #43 Rage into Change: Evelyn Scott on Endometriosis, Chronic Pain, and Advocacy Have you ever been medically gaslit, told your pain was “normal,” or that it was all in your head? If so, this episode is for you. Host Emily Johnson welcomes Evelyn Scott, a Surrey-based academic turned women’s health advocate and author of A Bloody Scandal: How Medicine Fails Women in Pain. Evelyn lives with severe endometriosis, a condition it took fifteen years to diagnose, with symptoms dismissed from her early teens as “just a bad period.” After being failed again and again by the very systems meant to help her, and finally diagnosed by pure chance in A&E, she began sharing her story online, building a community of tens of thousands of women and discovering that gynaecological neglect is a global scandal. In this honest and empowering conversation, Evelyn opens up about medical misogyny, the real cost of years of dismissal, and the practical tools that help her advocate for herself. Whether that is writing notes before appointments, to learning that you can always say no to your doctor. Whether you live with arthritis, endometriosis, or any chronic condition where you’ve had to fight to be believed, this episode is a reminder that you are the expert of your own body, and you are not alone. Topics covered: Fighting to Be Believed Normalised From the Start Bleeding through her school uniform, being bullied, and told “everyone has periods” Fifteen Years to Diagnosis Dismissed for over a decade, “normal” scans, and a diagnosis found by chance Finally Seen The strange relief of proof that it was never “all in her head” A Bloody Scandal Medical Misogyny “Just get pregnant,” “you’re wasting our time,” and being called hysterical Why Women Are Failed Gynaecological neglect across the UK, US and Australia A Better Way Empathy-led medicine, care plans, and treating endometriosis as an inflammatory disease Advocating for Yourself You Can Say No Noting dismissals on your records and asking for second and third opinions Your Secret Weapon Writing notes, bringing someone with you, and using PALS and your MP Rest and Be Kind Painkillers, hot water bottles, therapy, and learning to trust your body again About the podcast With a focus on reducing inflammation and improving daily life, this podcast features expert interviews, science-backed strategies, and real stories from people living with all types of arthritis. Emily combines her 12+ years of lived experience and insights from healthcare professionals to offer practical, encouraging steps that help you feel healthier, happier, and less alone when living with arthritis. Emily is a bestselling author, certified coach, and founder of Live Well with Arthritis. Episode Links Live Well with Arthritis Programme Waitlist: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/waitlist FREE Workbook: https://www.livewellwitharthritis.com/signup-free-download Evelyn Scott @evelynscott1987 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelynscott1987/ Book: A Bloody Scandal: How Medicine Fails Women in Pain (available from Waterstones, Amazon, WHSmith and all good booksellers) Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-bloody-scandal/evelyn-scott/9780008761349 Emily Johnson @ArthritisFoodie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritisfoodie Further Resources: https://linktr.ee/arthritisfoodie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

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Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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