American Idol Judge Battles Chronic Pain
It’s yet another season of American Idol. Listening to those American Idol hopefuls’ audition can be excruciating for the judges, but for one judge, the pain is more than real.
Paula Abdul has been battling with chronic pain for 25 years. The pain started when she was 17 after a cheerleading accident. She has had other accidents since then, and the pain just mounted. In 2005 She was finally diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a rare disease that usually affects arm or leg, causing pain along with swelling, skin discoloration and hypersensitivity in the affected area. The cause of this syndrome is not clearly understood; it is considered a type of rheumatic disease where an injury somehow causes the body to overreact, leading to chronic inflammation and pain. Since she began taking Enbrel, a drug for rheumatoid arthritis, Paula has been able to manage her pain.
So next time if you see Paula stumbles on her comments or act offbeat on American Idol, give her a little break.
