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Arthritis
Information
Arthritis and rheumatic
diseases include well over 100 conditions and diseases
that affect joints, surrounding tissues, muscles, tendons,
ligaments, bones and can even affect the internal organs,
connective tissue and immune system.
ARTHRITIS
Includes:
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Juvenile arthritis
- Lupus
- Infectious Arthritis
- Reactive Arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Scleroderma
- Gout
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Arthritis also:
- Limits activity for 7 million Americans
- Affects nearly 1 in 6 Americans and 1 in 3 families
- Affects an estimated 370,000 adult New Mexicans
- Is the leading cause of disability
- Costs $65 billion a year in medical care and lost
productivity
ARTHRITIS IS NOT JUST A PART
OF AGING.
- Many people are affected in the prime of life
- 3 of 5 people with arthritis are under 65
- Arthritis affects women almost twice as often as
men
- Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia affect primarily
women in the prime of life
- Juvenile arthritis affects an estimated 285,000
children
WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR ARTHRITIS?
Early diagnosis
- Prevents damage, disability and improves quality
of life
Self-management programs
- Can reduce pain by 20% and
- Can reduce doctors’ visits by 43%
Exercise - done appropriately
- Reduces pain, disability, and depression
- Increases strength, flexibility, balance and energy
- Increases the ability to perform daily living
tasks
- Prolonged inactivity aggravates arthritis
WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY ARTHRITIS?
Arthritis Foundation Courses
This link is a description of the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Courses. To sign
up for current courses,
call 505-867-7430.
More information
on Arthritis & Rheumatic Disease
NIAMS - The
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases is part of the National Institutes
of Health and provides information on current research
and free publications on arthritis and rheumatic diseases
for consumers and professionals. Click on this link
or call toll free: 877-22-NIAMS, TTY: 301-565-2966.
Information on the arthritis burden in the
United States.
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