Dr. James Louie, chief of rheumatology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

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Even arthritis doctors get arthritis.

"I've had it for about five years," said Dr. James Louie, chief of rheumatology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. "I just take a little Motrin from time to time."

Louie will speak about rheumatoid arthritis at a Living Healthy Conference Saturday morning at University Medical Center (see box).

He'll also discuss artists who were affected by arthritis — such as Peter Paul Rubens, who died from gout, and Paul Klee, who died of scleroderma — during his 90-minute presentation.

"You'll get some great information on arthritis and also inspiration on how people can better manage their lives with arthritis," said Michelle Cornett, a senior research nurse for the Arizona Arthritis Center. She has been coordinating the Living Healthy Conference for about 10 years.

Other patient-focused sessions during the conference include the latest advances in osteoarthritis, lupus and foot and ankle disorders.

We recently spoke with Louie, who is co-editing a book, "Targeted Treatment of the Rheumatic Diseases" (Elsevier), which is to come out in October.

"That all arthritis is alike and is untreatable. I think the take-home lesson is that there are probably more than 100 types of arthritis, and each one is different.

"The most treatable are gout and infectious arthritis."

What's a common type of arthritis?

"Osteoarthritis, which is degeneration of the cartilage. There's a little genetic component to it, and a little of it is from abuse."

"When you have pain and swelling in the joints. See your doctor and have them diagnose it. If they are having problems diagnosing it, see a rheumatologist.

"That's your responsibility as a patient. The way to take care of yourself is to find the best information out there."

How has the face of arthritis changed over the years?

"We've learned new molecular biology. Now that we can get diseases down to genes and molecules, we're in a much better position to treat it."

To help prevent arthritis, is it always better to have been an athlete growing up, even if the activity involved a lot of stress on your joints, like running?

"It depends on what type of arthritis you get. With osteoarthritis, it's important to keep your muscles in good balance."

Can you reverse arthritis or stop it from progressing?

"I think we're doing a pretty good job with rheumatoid arthritis. In people with gout, we can stop the destruction and prevent kidney involvement or them dying from gout."

"This was popularized by people who weren't basic scientists.

"The combination of the two — chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine — is what's recommended. What they've found is that it can control some of the pain, but it doesn't look like it restores the cartilage."

How do you know that artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Raoul Dufy had arthritis?

"My wife is an art administrator. She told me, 'One of these guys has one of your diseases. You should read about it.'

"Renoir ended up pretty crippled, but he continued to paint.

"Dufy got steroids. He came from Paris to Boston to be in a therapeutic study.

"The common theme through all this is their own personal will. Renoir did it without any therapy. He painted in a wheelchair. Renoir devised his own exercises. He knew he had to keep limber. The last seven years of his life, he was in a wheelchair.

"Now, modern artists are taking biologics. We've figured out that we can take a molecule and if we can restrict that molecule or knock it out, we can almost cure the disease.

"These are powerful. It gives them back their life."

"Work out. Keep your muscles strong. If you run, don't run on concrete. But if it doesn't hurt you to run, you can run anywhere you want. You have to listen to the signals in your body.

"Continue to take care of yourself, and be kind to the people who have arthritis.

"Don't put it off."