Got Knee Pain? Try Gabbing . . . Really

"Know what I mean?" If your friends say yes, chances are your knees -- and hips and hands -- may be healthier than those of people with friends who just don't understand. Or don't act like they do.

It's no secret that supportive relationships help you feel and be healthy. But new research found this to be especially true in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They looked at a marker of inflammation -- a blood test that tracks disease activity and treatment response -- in a group of women with RA and found that people whose relationships had more "mutuality" also had less inflammation 6 months later.

That doesn't just mean that these women felt supported by friends and family. It means they got plenty back. In other words, an uh-huh while pecking away at the BlackBerry or a "Sure, hon" while watching American Idol doesn't cut it. Mutuality is all about the reciprocal sharing of thoughts and feelings -- engaged responses during important conversations that broaden both people.

This kind of sharing may do even more than keep joints from aching; mutuality has also been linked with better overall mental health and a longer life (with less disability from heart disease, memory loss, and even cancer). So go ahead and put down the paper for a moment (we'll wait). Turn off the TV, hide the cell phone (really, you can live without it for a few moments), and talk about what's on your mind.