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  • About Arthritis
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    woman holding her wristWhat Is Arthritis?

    Arthritis is not one disease. Learn about the different types of arthritis, how they differ and why it’s important.

    microbesInflammation and the Immune System

    Body-wide inflammation is at the root of most chronic diseases — and you may have more control over it than you think.

    Patient talking with nurseNewly Diagnosed With Arthritis

    A new arthritis diagnosis can be overwhelming. These tips can help.

    • Understanding Arthritis
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    Woman holding shoulderWebinar: Touch Therapies for Pain Management

    Learn the evidence behind popular touch therapies for arthritis, including what to try and what to avoid, for how long and when.

    Managing Arthritis Care Costs

    Learn the basics about health care costs and financial tools available to you.

    Man with head in hands on bedWebinar: Arthritis Fatigue Causes and Solutions

    Learn the various causes of arthritis-related fatigue and strategies to combat weariness.

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    Woman with upset stomachMicrobiome, Gut Health & Arthritis

    Microbiome, microbes, microorganisms – these terms may be confusing, but the types of bacteria living in and on our bodies can impact arthritis. Learn what helps or harms the microbiome and the health of your gut and discover dietary changes that can make a difference. This episode was originally released on January 19, 2021.

    man exercisingStairs Workout Demo

    Strengthen your leg muscles and improve your stability to make going up and down stairs safer and easier.

    woman consoling anotherArthritis and Mental Health

    Learn about the connection between arthritis, depression and anxiety and how these conditions can make your arthritis worse.

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    2023 JA Family Summit

    Learn about the National Juvenile Arthritis Conference, a place for families to connect, share and learn.

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    The Arthritis Foundation’s JA camp programs give kids with arthritis and related childhood rheumatic diseases the chance to make lasting memories.

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    Transforming Clinical Interactions

    The Live Yes! Arthritis community connects patients with others online and in-person for support and education, and encourages patients to play an active role in their health care.

    Partners 4 Patients with Arthritis

    The Arthritis Foundation recently launched an initiative to build stronger relationships and increase recognition of our most engaged practices. 

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    See how we're aiming to address the growing shortage of arthritis specialists, especially in under-served parts of the country.

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    OACS Forum Series

    The Osteoarthritis Clinical Studies Forum Series features OA thought leaders from across the globe discussing the future of how the disease can be treated to improve patient outcomes.

    man bandaging boy's kneeConquering Childhood Arthritis

    The Arthritis Foundation is mobilizing patients and their families to engage in studies comparing the effectiveness of treatments for juvenile arthritis and funding research for more options.

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    Take action today - use the resources here to learn who your elected officials are, what opportunities we have to advocate from the comfort of your own home, federal and state legislation, and more!

    LiveYes! Insights thumbnailLive Yes! INSIGHTS

    Share your experience in a 10-minute assessment to be among those changing the future of arthritis.

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    You may have arthritis, but it doesn't have you. The Arthritis Foundation’s one-of-a-kind podcast. Hosted by patients, for patients.

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Coach Your Child Through Tough Times With Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis can pose challenges, but these strategies can help ease your child’s anxiety during difficult times. 

By Robyn Abree

Helping your child thrive with juvenile arthritis (JA) requires preparing him or her for the uncertainty and challenges it can bring. Use these strategies to help your child cope and problem-solve during difficult times.

Manage Your Stress First

It’s normal to feel anxious when your child experiences setbacks from JA, like flares or having to take extra precautions during virus outbreaks, like the coronavirus. But it’s important to remember that your child is watching. “If you’re watching the news and visibly tensing up, your child is going to take cues from you, and mirror that behavior,” says Skyler Hamilton, PhD, LMHC and owner of Healing Passages Counseling Services in Orlando, Fl. That’s why it’s so important to set boundaries with your children and schedule “do not disturb time” for self-care, even if it’s just for ten minutes, she says. Hamilton suggests making a sign and putting in on your door when you need alone time.

Giving yourself the space to do a relaxing activity you enjoy, or even just to cry when you feel overwhelmed, will help you manage your emotions so you can better care for your child.  Setting up strict “self-care time” also models positive coping strategies for children, says Hamilton. When you make time to care for yourself, they do too. Learn about more stress-busting activities the whole family can enjoy here.

Get Your Child’s Input

During stressful times, it’s tempting to take over and tell your child everything to do to keep healthy. For children older than five, that can be counterproductive and make them less likely to follow advice, says Hamilton. Instead, give your child an opportunity to weigh in on the situation. “Children take care of themselves better when they are able to give input,” says she says. “Giving them a sense of control is a part of the solution.”

Hearing about COVID-19 and needing to stay home for a month or more can make a child anxious. When anxiety strikes, ask your child how he or she is feeling – and really listen. “For example, if your child tells you she’s scared, the last thing you want to do is to tell her that she shouldn’t be,” says Hamilton. That will only create more shame and anxiety around the situation.

Instead, validate your child’s emotions, but then direct your child to a place of empowerment by asking follow-up questions, like “Do you have any thoughts about how you can help yourself feel safer in this situation?” or “Perhaps you could tell me some actions you can take to keep yourself healthy?”

Once you and your child figure out what those steps are, encourage your child to write them down and put them in a place that makes them easy to see every day – like the fridge. It’s important, though, that you help your child make a list full of “Do’s” instead of “Don’ts.” A list of things your child can’t do will make them less likely to follow through.

Ask Your Child to Think Like a Superhero

When thinking of solutions with children, there’s evidence that having them pretend to be their favorite superhero can help. “Thinking of themselves as a superhero can help children gain distance from their problems and think more objectively about them,” says Ethan Kross, PhD, professor of psychology and director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan. This is the idea behind “self-distancing,” a strategy coined by Kross and his colleagues, which gets people to look at problems from an objective point of view.

It also gets children to think about the traits that make superheroes so resilient to challenges and adopt them as their own. Kross calls this “the Batman effect,” after a trend he observed in a study where children performed various difficult tasks. When children became frustrated, Kross and his colleagues asked children to pretend they were Batman. Instead of asking themselves, “Why am I doing this?” they would ask, “Why is Batman doing this?” Children who referred to themselves as Batman were more likely to follow-through with challenging tasks, says Kross. This technique may be too childish for older children and teens, so Kross advises them to adopt the same self-distancing strategies for adults. 

Challenge Your Child to Think Ahead

Another self-distancing strategy that may be helpful for children is temporal distancing. This involves getting children to think how they’ll feel once the crisis is over. For example, if your child is worried about catching the coronavirus, get him or her to think about how it’ll feel when normal life resumes and a vaccine exists, says Dr. Kross.  

In times of uncertainty, it can also be helpful to get children to think about past challenges where they made it out fine, he says.

An example of this strategy might look something like this: “[Insert you child’s name], you went through a bad flare three years ago. You made it through then, and you can make it through this now. Think about how you’ll feel on our next vacation, when we’re at the beach playing in the sand!”

These kinds of pep talks, where you use your child’s past accomplishments to look to the future, can help your child adopt a “can-do” mindset, says Dr. Kross. Your child knows he’s capable of overcoming the current challenge, because he’s done something like it before.

Juvenile arthritis can be present challenges, but these techniques can you and your child can persevere. Having a strong support network for you and your family can also help. The Live Yes! Arthritis Network includes a virtual community of families and parents like you, ready to support you in your times of need.  For more information, visit arthritis.org/liveyes, and for even more ways to help tame your family’s anxiety during tough times with JA, click here.

 


 

Emotional Wellness
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Coach Yourself Through Tough Times with Arthritis

Emotional Well-being

Coach Yourself Through Tough Times with Arthritis
Living with arthritis can pose challenges, but these techniques can help ease anxiety during stressful times.
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Live Yes! INSIGHTS


Give Just 10 Minutes.

Tell us what matters most to you. Change the future of arthritis.

By taking part in the Live Yes! INSIGHTS assessment, you’ll be among those changing lives today and changing the future of arthritis, for yourself and for 54 million others. And all it takes is just 10 minutes.

Your shared experiences will help:

- Lead to more effective treatments and outcomes
- Develop programs to meet the needs of you and your community
- Shape a powerful agenda that fights for you

Now is the time to make your voice count, for yourself and the entire arthritis community. 

Currently this program is for the adult arthritis community.  Since the needs of the juvenile arthritis (JA) community are unique, we are currently working with experts to develop a customized experience for JA families. 

How are you changing the future?

By sharing your experience, you’re showing decision-makers the realities of living with arthritis, paving the way for change. You’re helping break down barriers to care, inform research and create resources that make a difference in people’s lives, including your own.

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As a partner, you will help the Arthritis Foundation provide life-changing resources, science, advocacy and community connections for people with arthritis, the nations leading cause of disability. Join us today and help lead the way as a Champion of Yes.

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Our Trailblazers are committed partners ready to lead the way, take action and fight for everyday victories. They contribute $2,000,000 to $2,749,000

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Our Visionary partners help us plan for a future that includes a cure for arthritis. These inspired and inventive champions have contributed $1,500,00 to $1,999,999.

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Our Pioneers are always ready to explore and find new weapons in the fight against arthritis. They contribute $1,000,000 to $1,499,999.

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