Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has told how his arthritis is “slowly getting worse”, but he is now “used to it”.
The 70-year-old musician has suffered from psoriatic arthritis – a form of arthritis with a skin rash – for nearly 20 years, but the medication he is on to deal with it has been “very effective” over the years.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s ‘Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk’, he said: “I would say that’s slowly getting worse, as to be expected. I have psoriatic arthritis, and I’ve been dealing with it for quite a while – for almost 20 years.
“I’m on two biologics, so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it’s been very, very effective.
“Despite the side effects and all of that, it’s been a really effective regimen for me, and it’s really helped my hands.
“I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that’s when you’ll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing].
“But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I’m so used to it, I don’t really even think about it that much anymore.”
Alex is no longer “interested” in hitting the road with his guitar.
He said: “[After] 40 years of touring, I’m not interested in touring anymore.
“I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs.”
In June 2020, Alex admitted he hadn’t felt “inspired or motivated” to play music since drummer Neil Peart’s death aged 67, six months earlier in January 2020.
During an appearance on WFAN’s ‘Talkin’ Golf With Ann Liguori’ radio show, the ‘Time Stand Still’ group’s guitarist said at the time: “After Neil passed in January, I’ve played very little guitar.
“I don’t feel inspired and motivated.
“It was the same thing when [Neil’s] daughter died in a car accident in 1997; I didn’t really play for about a year.
“And I just don’t feel it in my heart right now.
“Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly kind of mess around with it and put it down after 10 minutes.
“Normally, I would pick up a guitar and I would play for a couple of hours without even being aware that I’m spending that much time. So I know it’ll come back.”