ATLANTA, May 1, 2013 – The Arthritis Foundation is announcing a new multiyear public awareness campaign in conjunction with Arthritis Month this May to debunk the myths of arthritis. The Faces of Arthritis campaign will feature public service ads focusing on the harsh realities of arthritis and dispelling the common stereotypes often associated with the disease.
As the nation’s leading cause of disability, arthritis affects 50 million people, one in five adults. Most people think arthritis is one disease, affects only old people and is due to “wear and tear” of the joints; however, arthritis affects all ages and is an umbrella term for more than 100 joint diseases that can affect the whole body, including organs.
“Arthritis is common, costly and painful, and people think that there is nothing you can do about it. Misconceptions around the disease contribute to millions living with arthritis pain and the persistent attitude of complacency toward the disease and its impact,” says Arthritis Foundation Vice President of Public Health Policy and Advocacy, Dr. Patience White.
Face the Facts – Debunking the Myths
- Myth: Arthritis is a disease associated with aging. Fact: Arthritis can affect people of all ages. Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65 and some of the most serious forms of arthritis occur in teenagers or people in their 20s and 30s.
- Myth: Only old people get arthritis. Fact: Children get arthritis, too. Nearly 300,000 children are affected by arthritis.
- Myth: Knuckle cracking causes arthritis. Fact: Knuckle cracking can’t trigger arthritis, but it can stretch tissue and lead to discomfort.
- Myth: Arthritis is just aches and pains. Fact: Arthritis is a more frequent cause of activity limitation than heart disease, cancer or diabetes and causes work limitations for nearly one in three people in the U.S.
- Myth: Cold weather makes arthritis worse. Fact: There is no scientific evidence that a particular climate is better for people with arthritis, but changes in barometric pressure, often associated with inclement weather, may affect people with arthritis.
- Myth: There is nothing I can do about arthritis. I just have to “live with it.” Fact: Early diagnosis and management can prevent the long term pain and disability seen with many kinds of arthritis.
- Myth: Arthritis is one disease. Fact: There are more than 100 types of arthritis and knowing what type you have makes a difference in how to treat it.
It’s important to recognize the symptoms of arthritis early as many forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can cause irreversible joint damage, often within the first two years of the disease. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, can develop within 10 years of a major joint injury.
As part of the Faces of Arthritis campaign, the Arthritis Foundation encourages people to raise awareness of this serious disease.
Make a Difference
- Arthritis Walk – The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation's nationwide team walk event that raises funds to fight arthritis. Companies, families and individuals are encouraged to participate in this event to raise money to help fund the mission of the Arthritis Foundation, which is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. To sign up or to find an event in your area, visit www.arthritiswalk.org.
- Join the conversation – Use the #ArthritisMonth hash tag throughout the month of May to raise awareness and to learn more from people nationwide about the harsh realities of arthritis.
- Go interactive – Show that arthritis can affect anyone at any time by “placing your face” with the Faces of Arthritis interactive tool. Invite your community – constituents, family and friends – who care about arthritis to upload a picture of their face in the www.facesofarthritis.org photo gallery, along with a sharable 140-character message.
Face the facts. To learn more about arthritis and the Faces of Arthritis campaign, visit www.facesofarthritis.org.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the unacceptable impact of this serious and painful disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.
January 29, 2013 – Nashville, TN – A local Arthritis Foundation volunteer has been chosen to represent the needs of adults with osteoarthritis on the Arthritis Foundation’s national Osteoarthritis Alliance Leadership Group (OAALG). Barbie Chadwick lives with osteoarthritis, and has become an active local advocate for arthritis awareness and research through her role as the Executive Director of Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation. Alpha Omicron Pi’s philanthropic focus is arthritis.
Chadwick will serve as the representative from the Arthritis Foundation’s Southeast Region, an organization serving six states including Tennessee. Members of the OAALG serve on a volunteer basis by providing advice and counsel to the Arthritis Foundation to make sure the needs of the estimated 27 million Americans with osteoarthritis are being addressed.
Chadwick’s passion for the mission of the Arthritis Foundation shows through her involvement with juvenile arthritis initiatives at a state and regional level, as well as her leadership in osteoarthritis efforts. Her interest in osteoarthritis research has also influenced new support for research being conducted at Vanderbilt University.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. It robs one in every five adults and nearly 300,000 children of living life to its fullest. In Tennessee alone, more than 1.2 million adults and nearly 6,000 children fight the unacceptable pain of arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation leads the way in helping people with arthritis live better today and create better tomorrows by funding life-changing research that has restored mobility to countless patients; fighting for health care policies that improve the lives of millions of Americans with arthritis; and partnering with individuals and families to provide empowering programs and information.
For more information contact Kristin Whitehurst at 800-879-7896 or kwhitehurst@arthritis.org .
Franklin, TN – 1/9/2013 – The Arthritis Foundation’s 2012 Franklin Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis was the largest in the event’s local history.
More than 1,300 participants lined up at the festive run and walk event on December 1st, raising nearly $82,000 for arthritis research, local programs and advocacy efforts. This year’s local Junior Honoree, fourteen-year-old Matthew Firkins, has struggled with the challenges of juvenile arthritis since he was five. His Team Firkins Fighters was both the highest fundraising team and largest team in the 2012 Franklin event, raising more than $3,600 with 83 team members. Ryan Chastain was the top finisher in the 5K run event with a time of 15:44.
Arthritis is much more widespread than imagined, affecting 50 million Americans, roughly one out of five adults, and approximately 300,000 children. In Tennessee, more than 1.2 million adults and nearly 6,000 children have a doctor-diagnosed form of arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The organization’s local offices assist thousands of individuals and families each year through empowering programs like Camp AcheAway for children with arthritis, and the evidence-based Programs for Better Living courses including aquatics, exercise, Tai Chi and Walk With Ease. The Arthritis Foundation is the world’s largest private nonprofit funder of arthritis research, investing more than $450 million in strategic initiatives resulting in treatments that have given mobility back to countless patients.
As the nation’s largest holiday run/walk event, nearly $8.2 million was raised through more than 150 events across the country during the 2012 Jingle Bell Run/Walk season. For more information about Arthritis Foundation events or programs in the Franklin area call (615) 254-6795 or visit www.arthritis.org/tennessee .
The link for photos from the event is:
http://brentwoodcameraclub.zenfolio.com/f262430637
November 2, 2012 – Memphis, TN – Kirby Pines Retirement Community has earned the Flagship Facility designation from the Arthritis Foundation. It is one of the first senior communities in Tennessee to earn this designation.
Kirby Pines has been a partner in the Arthritis Foundation’s Programs for Better Living through their Tai Chi program for several years, and recently completed their certification for the remaining three programs including Aquatic, Exercise and Walk With Ease. To achieve Flagship Facility status through the Arthritis Foundation, certification is required in all four programs. The associates at Kirby Pines obtained certification in these programs by attending workshops, trainings, and completing the required timeframe for program offerings. To maintain Flagship Facility status, classes will be taught on a year-round permanent basis.
“We seek to empower our residents to lead healthy and active lives in a variety of ways,” says Mary Hand of Kirby Pines. “We are proud partners with the Arthritis Foundation in our efforts to increase physical activity and enhance the health of the participants in all four of these programs.”
A presentation of the Flagship Facility designation will take place at Kirby Pines on Monday, November 5th, at 1:30pm. For more information contact the Arthritis Foundation office at 901-685-9060 or email kchristian@arthritis.org .
About Kirby Pines Retirement Center:
Located in south-eastern Memphis, Kirby Pines has created a unique program that provides seniors a beautiful 50 acre life-care community with an independent upscale lifestyle, while at the same time assuring they will receive care whenever they may need it. This pre-paid continuum of care, called life care, meets the needs of residents, beginning with independent living, followed by assisted living, followed by skilled nursing and Alzheimer’s care as needed. Medical services from an on-staff physician are also available on site, making it one of the most comprehensive plans available and a wise investment in planning for the future.
