A change of climate won't help, and neither will eliminating an exercise routine. Get the facts about rheumatoid arthritis.

Popular myths about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can keep you from activities that could actually make you feel better, as well as cause you to make lifestyle changes that will have no real impact on your condition.

Here are the most common myths about RA and the truth behind each one.

Myth 1: RA affects everyone the same way.

Although arthritis primarily affects the joints, it can also damage many other parts of the body. Even people with the same type of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can experience vastly different symptoms.

Myth 2: Only old people get RA.

It's true that one of the most common forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is more likely to happen when you're older. Osteoarthritis occurs due to "wear and tear" on joints, typically as a result of age or injury.

However, RA is much more common in middle age. In fact, young adults and even children can get RA, too.

Myth 3: You don't look "sick," so you don't really have RA.

Some people with rheumatoid arthritis don't have severely damaged, misshapen joints, notes Larry Moreland, MD, chief of the division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

As a result, their family and friends may not understand the severity of their illness. Even when people do not have outward RA signs, they can still suffer symptoms, like joint pain, fatigue, and a general sense of feeling unwell.

Myth 4: RA is a normal part of aging.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease, not a normal aspect of getting older. Although RA affects millions of people worldwide, the majority of people don't have the disease.

Myth 5: RA symptoms aren't treatable.

Many treatments have been developed over the years to help control the pain, inflammation, and other symptoms of RA.

For example, a Dutch study showed that improvements in RA treatments over the last two decades have resulted in increased quality of life, lower rates of depression and anxiety, and better physical functioning for people with RA.

Nowadays, doctors can do more than simply address the symptoms after they begin; there are medications to help put RA into remission, to prevent or slow joint damage.

Myth 6: RA quickly leads to disability.

"Many patients with early rheumatoid arthritis are scared to death they're going to be crippled soon. What they don't understand is that there's a spectrum of mild to severe cases," says Dr. Moreland.

Even if you develop a more serious case of RA, new drugs are available that can halt the progress of the underlying disease. Becoming disabled is not an absolute certainty.

Myth 7: If you have arthritis, you shouldn't do physical activities.

Although rest is important when you have rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, it's also important to get exercise at times when you're feeling well, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Exercise helps keep your muscles strong and your joints flexible, and it can also help reduce the symptoms of depression, which can be common among people with a chronic illness like rheumatoid arthritis.

Myth 8: Any exercise is good for RA.

"Some people think if they just exercise a lot, they'll make themselves better," says Richard Brasington, MD, professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. Although exercise doesn't cure rheumatoid arthritis, the right kinds can help ease symptoms.

Be sure to get plenty of exercise that strengthens your muscles, like weightlifting and calisthenics, in addition to low-impact aerobic exercise. Strength training will help make your joints more stable, Dr. Brasington notes.

Myth 9: Living in a hot, dry climate can cure your rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the NIH, no particular type of climate has been shown to improve RA symptoms.

Myth 10: You should wait until you have serious joint problems before you start medications.

Doctors often give patients fairly powerful medicines early in the course of their disease, especially if they have a severe case of arthritis. This can help prevent permanent joint damage.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs, for instance, are frequently used to treat RA. These medications affect the body's natural defenses, the immune system, by blocking proteins that lead to swelling, inflammation, and associated joint pain.

"When I have a patient who's reluctant, I don't push her," Moreland says. "I suggest, 'Let's try it and see if it makes you feel better.' Usually when I prescribe an anti-TNF agent, the patient feels so much better and says, 'You gave me my life back. Thank you so much for doing that.'"