Self-Help Program

Created on: 06/10/07 - Email to friend - Print Page

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.