The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program helps you learn the skills you need to build your own self-management program that helps you:

    * become an active member of your health-care team,
    * work better with your health-care providers and
    * handle the day-to-day challenges of your disease.

The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program is a group education program designed to complement the care provided by your health-care team and allow you to share experiences with others. Trained volunteers, many of whom have arthritis or fibromyalgia, lead the courses. The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program is designed to:

    * identify and teach you the latest pain management techniques,
    * help you develop your own individualized exercise program,
    * help you learn to manage fatigue and stress more effectively,
    * discuss the purposes and effective use of medications,
    * help you find solutions to problems caused by your arthritis,
    * identify ways to deal with anger, fear, frustration and depression,
    * discuss the role of nutrition in arthritis management,
    * help you learn new ways to communicate with family and friends and
    * teach you how to form a partnership with your health-care team.

Past participants of the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program have experienced such benefits as:

    * increased knowledge about their arthritis,
    * increased frequency of exercise and relaxation,
    * increased self-confidence,
    * decreased depression,
    * decreased pain and
    * decreased physician visits.