Strictly’s Adam Thomas grimaces in pain and tells fans ‘I need help’ after life changing health diagnosis
ADAM Thomas has begged fans for help after his arthritis resulted in a new health issue.
The former Emmerdale actor and Strictly star revealed at the beginning of October that he had been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, leaving him struggling to walk.
Now there’s even more new symptoms for the 36-year-old to grapple with, skin condition psoriasis – autoimmune disease that causes patches of skin to become inflamed, scaly, and itchy.
Taking to Instagram for assistance, Adam shared a picture from his bed where he looks in pain and irritation while running his hand through his hair.
He wrote in the caption: “My arthritis journey: Ok I need help!!!! So with the arthritis that I’ve got which psoriatic arthritis one of the symptoms that comes with this is a skin condition called psoriasis!
“It used to be all over my body and face still is on places but really suffer with it on my scalp.
“I’ve tried absolutely everything ! If anyone has had this or got this and can recommend any shampoos or creams to help preferably natural I would really appreciate it thank you x”
Emily Atack was quick to offer words of advice and support, saying: “Steroid cream from the docs!!! Worked WONDERS for me. You comb it into your hair like a leave in conditioner. I’ll send you a pic of it.”
Beauty blogger Zoe Johnson added: “Coconut oil and a drop of peppermint left on overnight saves the day for mine x”
Another one of his followers told him: “I had really bad psoriasis in my scalp too, was under dermatology.. the only shampoos that worked were Nizarol, polytar or tgel. Out of all of them I would say polytar was the best! x”
Adam revealed in October that he’s been in pain “every day” for the past two years as he prepared to undergo new injection treatment.
Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2023, Adam was seen screaming in pain as he got steroid injections.
He later explained the side effects of methotrexate injections became “just too much” for him, prompting him to seek help elsewhere.
He added that his time on Strictly last year left him in agony as he tried to cover up the pain he was in.
“Over two years I’ve been in pain EVERYDAY and as you can imagine it definitely takes its toll,” he wrote at the time.
How to treat psoriasis and the 11 foods that can help soothe flare ups
Roughly two per cent of the population - both men and women - are affected by psoriasis. Cara Delevingne, singer Cyndi Lauper. and Kim Kardashian are among those affected. While it can't be stopped, here are some things that can help.
Try eating:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Walnuts
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseed oil
- Kale
- Blueberries
- Butternut squash
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Tuna
If the condition has spread to the scalp, like in Adam’s case, there are also shampoos and ointments that can help.
Examples include:
- Emollients to keep the skin moist and reduce water loss
- Steroid creams – which are only prescribable – to calm the skin
- Vitamin D analogues to slow the production of skin cells and reduce inflammation
- Calcineurin inhibitors to dampen inflammation and the immune system, sometimes in sensitive areas
- Coal tar to reduce scales and itchiness
- Dithranol to suppress the production of skin cells
“The only time I can think of, that I’ve not been pain free, is when I was doing Strictly… four to five weeks in the pain was unbearable to the point I couldn’t physically carry on anymore I was putting on a brave face, but really I was suffering!”
“Even though I was in pain and physically I was suffering, in my mind I wanted to keep going and the team at Strictly mentioned steroid injections to help ease the pain a little and it worked massively!!!
“I was still s**t at dancing but the pain had eased off. And so I’ll be honest I just need some breathing space again to feel normal again and so that’s what I’ve had again today! So fingers crossed! I know it’s no cure but it just gives me a little time until the other meds kick in!”
The dad of three then urged his followers and fellow sufferers to “stay strong.”