May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. How many people are living with this condition? 53 million Americans and counting. Various forms of arthritis – including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus and fibromyalgia – are all on the rise, according to the CDC. Let’s look at some other facts and stats about arthritis, courtesy of the… Continue reading Arthritis by the numbers: 50 million+ Americans live with it
Tag: Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis Awareness Month: Shedding light on an invisible condition
It’s National Arthritis Awareness Month, and while more than 50 million Americans live with it, arthritis is often an invisible condition. It can be hard for those who don’t have it to understand what it’s all about and how it impacts a person. So let’s test your arthritis knowledge — did you know any of the… Continue reading Arthritis Awareness Month: Shedding light on an invisible condition
Arthritis Awareness 101
You may have heard that arthritis affects the joints, but did you know that it’s an umbrella term used to describe over 100 medical conditions and diseases (known as rheumatic diseases)?1 Conditions that fall underneath forms of “arthritis” include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, and fibromyalgia. And the symptoms can vary depending on the type of arthritis and the person… Continue reading Arthritis Awareness 101
Spreading the word for arthritis
Lupus? Check. Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS? Check. ALS, cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, mental health, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression? Check! There’s been a ton of awareness going on in May, but there’s still one more theme to go – National Arthritis Awareness Month. This month, the Arthritis Foundation (AF) is encouraging us all to spread the word to… Continue reading Spreading the word for arthritis
Harnessing New Media for Patient Advocacy (Part II)
A few weeks ago, I was invited to present on behalf of PatientsLikeMe at the Arthritis Foundation workshop held in Newport, RI. The presentation was on how to “harness new media for patient advocacy” – the same as what I presented at a workshop for non-profits in northern New England in August. This time the… Continue reading Harnessing New Media for Patient Advocacy (Part II)
Harnessing “New Media” for Patient Advocacy
The media is abuzz at the moment with stories about social networks like Facebook and Twitter, carrying pieces on the good (Facebook Fan Page raises $10,000 for a Silicon Valley Food Bank), the bad (Facebook users are leaving out of mistrust and boredom), and the controversial (Social networking site for living organ donors). In the… Continue reading Harnessing “New Media” for Patient Advocacy