What We Know About Paula Abdul's Health Issues

Paula Abdul has certainly put in her 10,000 hours. You can't classify the singer as, well, just that: a singer. Including her immaculate dancing skills, the truth about Abdul is that she's a performer, above all else. Just watching the "Cold Hearted" music video serves as an example of her high-energy moves.

Her choreography first came on the scene when she danced with the L.A. Lakers at the beginning of her career. As she rose to superstardom, Abdul turned out song after song, performance after performance. 

Besides Abdul's cosmetic alterations, however, not much has changed for the star, including how often she dances. So, it's unsurprising she's fallen to a few health concerns along the way.  

In September 2024, Abdul announced on Instagram that she was canceling her "Straight Up! To Canada" tour after citing undisclosed injuries that resulted in minor surgery and a weeks-long recovery. "It's with an incredibly heavy heart that I need to share with you an update regarding some injuries I've recently sustained," she wrote (via Newsweek). 

She updated Us Weekly on her recovery at the Dancers Against Cancers' 10th Annual Gala of Stars Awards in October 2024. "I'm recovering well. I have already had one procedure done," she said, adding, "I have one more to go, but I'm guaranteed eight weeks I'll be humpty dumpty back together again." 

Abdul also assured her fans that this was only a minor setback. She vowed in her Instagram post that she would be "stronger and better, dancing my heart out and performing for all of you very soon" (per Us Weekly). While she hasn't revealed the mystery injury, her past diagnosis could be a factor.

In 2015, Paula Abdul started feeling pain that she knew was worse than the average dancer's muscle soreness. After growing concerned about her joint pain, Abdul went to a rheumatologist, where she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and soon after, osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that affects roughly 33 million adults in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "When I was diagnosed, I was like, 'Oh my God, it's finally caught up with me,'" the Grammy award winner told Parade in 2021. However, despite the tragic details of Abdul's diagnosis, she vowed to not let it halt her dancing career. "I have a lot more living in me and a lot more performing that I want to do," she said.

With a healthy regimen, Abdul keeps her pain at bay. In June 2020, she partnered with Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel, writing in an Instagram post: "I've dealt with arthritis pain for years throughout my professional career as a dancer and performer, but with help from Voltaren, I can move with ease." The former "American Idol" judge told Parade that her rehabilitation process has included lots of pilates, ice baths, Voltaren, and a hand-held Theragun that she takes with her on the go.

While she hasn't been on the road since canceling her Canadian tour in 2024, Abdul frequently posts on her social media to keep energy high for her fans, even if she can't bring it on stage. She posted a compilation of electrifying stage performances on Instagram, writing: "Dance isn't just something I do, it's who I am. It flows through my veins, fueling every beat of my heart and every movement of my being."