Question
QUESTION: I am 50 years old and have arthritis. It usually doesn't give me too much trouble unless I overwork a certain area. I have noticed over the last few years that if I get a painful sunburn, my most vulnerable arthritic areas hurt more than usual. It is my shoulders, elbows, lower back, hips, and knees that hurt the most when I get sunburned. These are not necessarily the areas in which I get the sunburn. I ache as though I have the flu. Is there a connection between sunburned skin and arthritic joints?
ANSWER: What sort of arthritis do you have?  The only connection I can think of with osteoarthritis is that if you're out-and-about long enough to get a sunburn, you're probably overdoing it a bit.  Usually, this sort of pain is alleviated by rest.  

Regular exercise like walking is good for arthritic joints, in the long run and eased into after a long winter of inactivity.  Talk to your doc about what exercise is best for you and find a routine you can stick with.  And, wear sunscreen for your skin's sake.

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QUESTION: I have osteoarthritis. I wasn't overdoing it; I just sat out in the sun too long before I put any sunscreen on. And it may not have anything to do with having arthritis, but when I do get a sunburn of any degree, I ache right down to the bone. It can last for several days and causes my most vulnerable joints to hurt worse. I had the antinuclear antibody test three years ago that showed a low positive, but the doctor didn't seem to think I had Lupus. I am also hypothyroid. Could any of these things possibly cause this?

Answer
Hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease, like lupus, and it's not uncommon to have AI diseases group together.  There are also bunches of us with fibromyalgia as well as autoimmune conditions.  Keep working with your doc to sort through all this to your proper diagnosis and to help find a treatment.