Ulrika Jonsson, 54, recently spoke candidly about her life-long battle with arthritis and how it can make life miserable.
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Speaking to The Express, the Celebs Go Dating star said: "I don't think you ever get a hold on it, because arthritis is so tricky and can be such a debilitating condition. I would say I work around it every single day of my life, it's unavoidable."
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"It can be miserable, but I have a high pain threshold, and because I have lived with it for so long, it's so much part of what I am, you can't fight against it," she continued.
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Ulrika has said because the condition affects every area of her life, it's something she brings up early on in her relationships. "It's not something I'd bring to the table on the first date, but I won't avoid talking about it, absolutely not," she told the Express. "It's part of what I am, I don't feel ashamed of it at all. It's a fact of life."
"I am going to be 55 this year, so I'm not young but I'm not super old yet, and as soon as you mention arthritis you think someone is joking about it," she said. "If I take a long time to get up from a seat or from sitting, if I've been to the cinema it will take me a good few minutes to steady myself on my legs."
© Photo: InstagramUlrika is open about her incurable condition
Speaking of the pain, Ulrika said arthritis feels like: "Dragging, burning, without the heat," or like menstrual pain.
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The 54-year-old has previously spoken on Instagram about how she manages pain. In a sponsored post she explained: "After years of taking painkillers when my suffering was at its worst, I have finally been introduced to the brilliant @BCureLaserUK – a nifty little handheld device that lasers away the vast majority of your pain.
"I never in a million years thought there would be any other alternative to painkillers – despite having all sorts of treatments like surgical interventions and physio. But no cure. What this little beauty does is rid me of most of my pain; this clever little thing is ridiculously easy to use – even an old dinosaur like me has no problems! It’s portable and when applied to the area in question, simply dulls any nasty, persistent, unmanageable pain you might have."
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