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January 17, 2008
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
Arthritis Prevention and Control Program
Arthritis Prevention and Control Program
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the Arthritis Foundation, Carolinas Chapter are working together to promote prevention, screening and early diagnosis, and self-management of arthritis.
The SC DHEC Prevention and Control Program (SC DHEC Arthritis Prevention and Control Program) began in 1999 with the goal of reducing the burden of arthritis in South Carolina. The program was made possible through funding from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the first accomplishments of the SC Arthritis Program was to develop a State Plan for Arthritis (Arthritis State Plan). The plan is a collaborative effort of the Arthritis Program, the Arthritis Foundation, Carolinas Chapter and other partners throughout South Carolina. It serves as a guide for program activities.
Since its inception, the DHEC's Arthritis Program has been working with the Arthritis Foundation to increase the number and availability of programs for people with arthritis in South Carolina. Arthritis self-management programs are now offered in a number of areas of the state.
DHEC is also collecting health information from adults age 18 years and older to determine who has arthritis and what risk factors and risk behaviors are related to arthritis. This information is being used to measure the full impact of arthritis on the state and to develop a response that will lessen the burden.
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Joint Protection Now Could Reduce Future Impact of Arthritis
The Arthritis Foundation is urging you to take control of your joint health. Whether you have been diagnosed with arthritis, are experiencing joint pain, or aren't yet showing signs of the disease, there are actions you can take now to protect your joints and limit pain and disability.
The Arthritis Foundation offers the following tips to keep joints healthy and strong:
- Lose weight. You won't just look better, you'll feel better, too. Every extra pound you gain puts four times the stress on your knee. Even a small weight loss will give your knees relief. Research has shown that as little as 11 pounds may cut your risk of osteoarthritis of the knee by 50 percent.
- Build Strong Bones. Boost your calcium intake because a diet rich in this important mineral helps to keep your bones sturdy and can lower your risk of osteoporosis (the brittle bone disease). There are plenty of sources beside milk, including yogurt, broccoli, kale, figs, salmon and calcium supplements.
- Bulk Up. Strength training is the best way to boost your metabolism (and get a sleeker body, too). Research also shows lifting weights creates denser bones and builds stronger muscles that help stabilize and protect joints.
- Compute Comfortably. Your upper body should be spaced 20 to 26 inches from your computer monitor, the top of which should be at an even line with the top of your head when your head is in neutral position. Your arms should hand comfortably at your sides, elbows at a right angle, with your wrists relaxed while typing.
Do you have ankylosing spondylitis?Do you have spinal arthritis?
Ankylosing spondylitis, or AS, is a form of arthritis that affects the spine. If you have AS, over time your spine will become stiffer, and the bones of your spine may grow together. The following offices are conducting a research study for AS patients.Physicians with these sites are conducting a research study of an investigational medication for AS. Qualified volunteers will receive all study-related care (at no charge), including:
- Doctor visits
- Lab services
- Study medication
If you are between the ages of 18 and 75, and have been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, you may qualify for this research study. For more information, please call:
John Harshbarger, M.D. Carolina Arthritis Associates 1710 S. 17th Street Wilmington, NC 28401 (901) 762-1182 | William Edwards, M.D. Low Country Rheumatology 9267 Medical Plaza Drive N. Charleston, SC 29406 (843) 797-8585 |
Lee Rocamora, M.D. Carolina Clinical Research 2990 Bethesda Place Suite 606B Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (336) 765-9467 | Neil Kassman, M.D. Statesville Research Institute 208 Mocksville Road Statesville, NC 28625 (704) 838-8218 |
The first step is your call.
The Arthritis Foundation Funds Critical Research in North and South Carolina.
The Mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. By funding critical research in some of the top research institutions in North and South Carolina, we are making an impact in the research arena in the hopes that one day we can eradicate the disease that affect one in five people across the Carolinas. Below is are the researchers that we are fund.Please note that these researchers do not see patients:
| Barr, Alastair J., Dphil | Duke Univ Med Ctr |
| Clarke, Stephen H., PhD | UNC Chapel Hill |
| DeSilva, Aravinda, PhD, MPG | UNC Chapel Hill |
| DeVellis, Robert F., PhD | UNC Chapel Hill |
| Keefe, Francis J., PhD | Duke Univ Med Ctr |
| Keysor, Julie J., MS, PT | UNC Chapel Hill |
| Kraus, Virginia B., MD, PhD | Duke Univ Med Ctr |
| Makarov, Sergei, PhD | UNC Chapel Hill |
| Mishra, Nilamadhab, MBBS | Wake Forest |
| Pisetksy, David S., MD, PhD | Duke Univ Med Ctr |
| Reilly, Christopher M., PhD | Med Univ South Carolina |
| Schanberg, Laura E., MD | Duke Univ Med Ctr |
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