Lady Gaga, synovitis and lupus

Lady Gaga recently announced that she will have to cancel the remaining dates of her blockbuster tour due to a condition called "synovitis." This condition apparently began as a show injury, and has developed into chronic pain which has become so bad that she will need to undergo hip surgery in an attempt to repair the problem.

The term "synovitis" means an inflammation of the synovial membranes which line the synovial joints. Most of the joints in our bodies are some form of synovial joint, including the knee, fingers, wrist and hip joints. Since Lady Gaga is reportedly unable to walk, the condition must be pretty bad. (And I wonder if her recent well-publicized fling with marijuana wasn't an attempt to self-medicate the pain and inflammation caused by this condition.)

Synovitis can be intensely painful, particularly when it occurs as part of a chronic disease. Like, for example, lupus.

In 2010, Lady Gaga disclosed that part of her drive to succeed as a pop star is due to the constant looming specter of lupus in her life. The disease runs in families, and killed her aunt at a young age. Lady Gaga admitted to having tested "borderline" for the disease, but said that she had not manifested any symptoms of the disease.

Could this be the earliest indication that Lady Gaga is suffering from lupus? Let's hope not; I wouldn't wish lupus on my worst enemy. This chronic autoimmune disease causes the body to attack its own cells, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage which is both exhausting and painful. This disease remains somewhat mysterious, it tends to come and go, spontaneously flaring up then falling into remission, and there is no cure.

Lupus can certainly cause synovitis. But there is no need for alarm at this point, because repeated strenuous activity - like the way Lady Gaga dances on stage, not to mention the hours of practice she puts in every day - is a far more likely source of the condition.

Image courtesy of Flickr/Alfred Hermida