MO Arthritis

Success Story: "We have fun!"

When Russell Otte, 65, of Edina, Missouri (Knox County) registered for his first physical activity course, he was fearful that he would not succeed with the program.  Being the only man in his class didn’t help this fear.  However, the instructor of his Walk With Ease class encouraged everyone to walk at their own pace, to realize it wasn’t a competition, and to encourage one another.  As Otte says, “We cheered one another on.”  When considering taking a self-management or physical activity course, many people have similar fears. 

Otte pushed through his initial fears and continued taking the Walk With Ease course.  He stated that “the class isn’t about keeping up with the crowd – it’s about keeping up with yourself.”  He realized that others in the class had similar problems to his.  Otte has arthritis, diabetes, Meniere’s disease, and suffered a stroke in 2009.  The stroke in particular limited his mobility and range-of-motion on the right side of his body.  In describing his improvements made through taking the Walk With Ease course, Otte said, “The first day I only walked 5 minutes, but by the end of 6 weeks, I was able to walk 45 minutes with more ease than the 5 minutes had been at the start. After the 45 minute walk, I felt energized and ready to meet the day, instead of exhausted and overwhelmed with pain.”  Since Otte felt he had improved so much in this program, he chose to also enroll in the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program. 

The Walk With Ease Program is a group or individual format course.  The group format is offered by a trained leader in six-week increments, meeting three times per week.  This class, which was researched and designed by the Arthritis Foundation to be joint-friendly, includes warm-up, stretching, and cool-down exercises.  It teaches participants to learn how to safely pace themselves and how to monitor their progress while building up to walking at least 30 minutes at a time.  The individual format course is done independently, but follows the same structure as a group course.

The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) is a group format course offered by trained leaders in six-week increments, meeting two to three times per week.  Some sites choose to offer the program year round to participants with long-term health conditions (like asthma, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease) or individuals just looking for a regular exercise routine.  This class, which was researched and designed to be joint-friendly, includes activities to improve range-of-motion, flexibility, balance, strength and to build endurance.  All of the exercises can be modified to meet participants’ needs.

Through his participation in the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, Otte was inspired to become trained as a leader, a move his doctor supports.  “My doctor was really pleased.  He sees that my life has improved, and tells me to keep on doing the activities.” Otte especially wants to encourage more men to participate in similar programs.  He will be starting a new Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program course this fall in September at the Community Center in Edina.   

To find out more information, please call the Northeast Regional Arthritis Center at 1-866-626-2878 x2049.  You can also find out more information about other self-management and physical activity programs being offered in the Northeast Missouri region.  If you are interested in participating in a Walk With Ease or an Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program course elsewhere in the state, you can find a class near you by calling toll-free at 1-888-702-8818 or by visiting www.moarthritis.org/classes.html. 

Otte especially encourages you to “find a program and experience it”!

May is Arthritis Month

The start of May kicked off National Arthritis Awareness Month, also known as Arthritis Action Month!  With arthritis being the number one cause of disability in the United States, it's important to raise awareness of what arthritis is and how it affects us, our family members and our friends.  Many organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Arthritis Foundation (AF), are encouraging the nation to take action to help manage arthritis and reduce it's negative effects.

The CDC encourages walking to ease joint pain.  As identified in their May 3 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), State-Specific Prevalence of Walking Among Adults With Arthritis - United States, 2011, adults with arthritis nationally can improve upon the number of minutes spent walking each week.  To learn more about this MMWR and walking in Missouri, view the Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program's (MAOP) Press Release on Arthritis Action Month, released May 7.  You can also read the CDC's feature on Arthritis Awareness Month.

The AF encourages individuals to explore the Faces of Arthritis gallery.  This interactive website allows us to learn more about the facts of arthritis, to put a face and name with the disease, and to use tools to help/to act now!  The Faces of Arthritis gallery also allows individuals to submit their own picture and story and to really become the "face of arthritis". 

Closer to home, the AF Heartland Region office is offering webinars throughout the month of May featuring topics about arthritis.  Registration and log-on information is available for each webinar.  Contact Jazzmin at jmckay@arthritis.org with questions.

• May 15th: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet     Register Here
• May 22nd: Get Physical with Arthritis     Register Here
• May 29th:  Pain Management     Register Here

The National AgrAbility Project is also offering a webinar on Wednesday, May 29 at 1:00 pm CDT.  It is called Gardening with Effective Arthritis Management.  To participate in this free webinar, register here by Friday, May 24.  You can contact AgrAbility at 1-800-825-4264 or email if you have questions.

Self-management and physical activity classes are available throughout the state of Missouri.  These classes can be a great first action toward improving your health. 

For more information, contact your local Regional Arthritis Center (RAC).  Throughout the month of May, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, success stories from around the state will be highlighted on the MAOP website (www.moarthritis.org).  These stories, which come from a variety of participants and leaders, help to showcase the different classes offered throughout the state.  We hope that one or more of these stories will encourage you to take action to be our next success story!

MAOP Press Release - Arthritis Action Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    Contact: Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program

May 7, 2013                                                                 (888) 702-8818

Take Action to Improve Your Health!  Increase Your Awareness of Arthritis and Jump Start Your Summer by Staying Active During Arthritis Action Month

 The month of May marks Arthritis Action Month nationally.  Throughout the month, individuals are encouraged to make personal actions to change the course of their arthritis.  May is also a great time to raise our awareness of this chronic health condition.  Adults who have arthritis can use physical activity as a step in their self-management plan to help reduce pain and increase their mobility. 

While there are many forms of beneficial physical activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends walking.  According to the CDC, walking has been shown to improve arthritis symptoms, physical function, gait speed, and quality of life.  Friday, the CDC released information in their MMWR report that over half of adults with arthritis in all states walk less than 90 minutes per week.  In fact, among adults with arthritis in 38 states, over 50% did not walk at all.  In Missouri, 75% of adults with arthritis walk less than 90 minutes per week with over 56% of those adults not walking at all. Make it a priority in May to help change the statistics!

One thing you can do to take action to improve your health is to join an existing walking event or program.  In Missouri, the Arthritis Walk®, the Arthritis Foundation’s (AF) signature event, helps to raise funds and awareness of the nation’s leading cause of disability – arthritis.  If you live in the St. Louis area or didn’t make the May 4^th Kansas City walk, the 2013 Arthritis Walk – St. Louis will be Friday, May 17^th at 6:30 pm at the Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri.  For more information on this event and how to participate in St. Louis, visit www.arthritis.org/programs-events/arthritis-walk/. 

Through its seven Regional Arthritis Centers (RACs), the Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program (MAOP) offers two physical activity programs locally around the state. 

The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program is a group format course offered by trained leaders in six-week increments, meeting two to three times per week.  Some sites choose to offer the program year round to participants.  Topics covered include: range-of-motion, flexibility, balance, strengthening and endurance-building activities; relaxation techniques; and health education topics.

The Walk With Ease program is offered in group or independent formats.  In the group course, trained leaders work with participants three times a week over the course of six weeks.  For the independent course, individuals use a workbook three times a week over a six-week period.  Topics include pain management; walking routine development; stretching, warming up and cooling down.

All courses are offered year-round and are designed for individuals with risk factors for or with chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.  Courses meet participants at their personal level – whether newly diagnosed, with a controlled condition, or not yet diagnosed.  Individuals with multiple chronic health conditions may find additional benefit from these courses as they learn how their conditions interact and can impact their overall health.  Self-management courses can also be beneficial for caregivers or family of those with chronic conditions.

For a complete schedule of courses offered and to learn more, click on your region at: www.moarthritis.org/regional-arthritis-centers.html.  If a course isn’t listed in your area, contact your RAC by calling the toll-free line at 1-888-702-8818 or via the website at www.moarthritis.org to begin a group or get added to a waiting list.  You can also contact your RAC to find out more about becoming a program leader. Find out more about MAOP programs by checking out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MOArthritis.

 

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Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program
moarthritis@gmail.com

CDC Report on Walking Released

Last Friday, May 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).  The report contained two articles of note for the arthritis community.  First, a report on walking among adults with arthritis was released.  The report, State-Specific Prevalence of Walking Among Adults With Arthritis - United States, 2011, looks at national data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).  Second, an announcement was made in the May 3 MMWR that May 2013 is Arthritis Awareness Month.  To learn more about Arthritis Awareness Month, also known as Arthritis Action Month, please visit the Faces of Arthritis webpage.

National Walking Day Jump Starts Season

Today, April 3, is National Walking Day 2013.  This day, established by the American Heart Association, kicks off a "season" of outdoor activity, especially walking.  As the weather has gotten nicer throughout much of Missouri, the snow seems to be gone until later this year and temperatures are on the rise.  This provides for optimal conditions to move outdoors.  The challenge posed by the American Heart Association through National Walking Day, is for individuals to lace up their sneakers and get outside today to walk for at least 30 minutes. 

The American Heart Association also uses National Walking Day as a first step in continuing to move throughout the month of April.  From April 1 to April 30, we are all challenged to 'show our moves'.  The "Show Us Your Moves" campaign by the American Heart Association allows individuals to demonstrate personal ways they like to engage in physical activity.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend in their "Physical Activity for Everyone" guidelines, that adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (can split into more manageable ten minute chunks) in addition to muscle-strengthening exercises on two or more days per week.  If you split up your walking (of moderate-intensity) into three ten-minute increments each day, you only need to walk five days out of the week!

The health benefits from walking are incredible, as seen in this video from Kaiser Permanente:

 

Maybe the thought of getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is scary for you.  Perhaps the thought of walking thirty minutes in a day is even intimidating.  The Missouri Arthritis and Osteopororis Program, through its Regional Arthritis Centers and other local community health organizations, offers a program that may help you get started on the path to regular walking.  The Arthritis Foundation's Walk With Ease program can be done in both group and individual settings.  For more information on the Walk With Ease program in Missouri, or to find a class near you, please take a look at www.moarthritis.org.  Other physical activity and self-management classes in Missouri can also be found on our website.

National Walking Day can be a great motivator to improve the regularity and strength of your individual walking.  Use today as a jumping off point to "Show Us Your Moves", to "Walk With Ease", and to work your way up to participating in one of the Arthritis Walks offered in Missouri during May!

April 3 - National Walking Day 2013!

The American Heart Association is encouraging us all to get up and move on April 3, 2013.  National Walking Day helps raise awareness of the need for physical activity, as well as to lead healthier lifestyles.  The main goal of this day is for us all to walk for at least thirty minutes.  If you aren't sure how you will fit thirty minutes of walking in, consider walking ten minutes, three times that day.  If you are unable to walk, strive to get thirty minutes of other physical activity and/or to encourage friends and family members to get out and move!

If you're nervous about walking for thirty minutes, or aren't sure where to start when considering a walking routine, the Walk With Ease program may be helpful!  This program, offered all around the state of Missouri, is offered in both group and individual formats.  It provides support, information, and tools to make walking a regular part of your life; and, it helps build you up to at least 30 minutes of walking.  The program will also help you learn how to warm-up, cool-down, and stretch when walking.  To learn more about the Walk With Ease program, please click here.  If you are interested in finding a Walk With Ease opportunity near you (group class or independent program), please contact your local Regional Arthritis Center.

For more information on National Walking Day and how you can make this day a part of your community, please view more information here.  You can register on behalf of your employer, or register as part of a community organization or individual.

New MOArthritis.org Feature! Self-Management Toolkit

Many people are affected by one or more chronic health condition, such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.  There are also many family members who act as a caregiver for individuals affected by a chronic disease.  Actively engaging in one’s health, through self-management techniques and physical activities, can help to improve quality of life.

The Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program has put together an online toolkit of resources that may be helpful to individuals with chronic health problems and their caregivers.  Participants of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program offered in Missouri will recognize some common themes toward self-management: understanding emotions, engaging in healthy eating, managing pain, and problem-solving.  These are just a few of the tools found in our self-management toolkit.

Take a look at this resource and see if there are one or two resources that are especially helpful for you or someone you know who is either an individual with chronic health problems or their caregiver.  This Self-Management Toolkit is an ongoing resource and will be updated regularly with new resources.  If you would like more suggestions on specific activities or techniques for self-management and physical activities, please contact your Regional Arthritis Center Coordinator or the Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program.  If you have additional resources you think could be helpful to other individuals with chronic health conditions or their caregivers, please contact the Missouri Arthritis and Osteoporosis Program.

Looking for a Pain Reliever?

If you are an individual who is affected by one of the more than 100 types of arthritis, has chronic pain, contends with one or more chronic health condition (not limited to arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease), or are a caregiver for an individual with any of the above listed conditions, you may be looking for a way to relieve pain.  One way you can relieve your pain is through physical activity.  This may seem counter-intuitive; why fight pain with more pain?  Physical activity should not equal pain.  There are many resources you can ask for help in developing a personalized plan to increase physical activity. 

• Talk with your health care provider.
• Ask an employee at a fitness center for assistance in developing a plan.
• Learn how to use fitness equipment appropriately.
• Work with other health care staff, like physical therapists, as needed.

Additionally, there are many great organizations who recommend an increase in physical activity.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends we Be Physically Active in the New Year, and staff from the Arthritis Foundation recently published a public policy article that encourages Increasing Physical Activity among Adults with Arthritis.  There is an even a push through the Affordable Care Act to support healthy lifestyles by improving our workplace wellness.  You can read more on this push in the December issue of Preventing Chronic Disease here.

It can be easy to say "I'll start tomorrow" or "I just don't feel like it today".  If that is how you are feeling, perhaps one of these two success stories for behavior change can help motivate you to start making positive changes today, even if it's just for 10 minutes of physical activity!

    Seniors Learn to 'Walk with Ease'

    Weight Loss Helps Ease Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

 

Step into 2013 on the right (or left) foot!

As 2012 comes to an end and we look for 2013 to begin, there is again a lot of talk about making a resolution for the new year.  If you are a person who makes New Year's resolutions, or if you think you'd like to try, have you considered taking steps to have more positive health in the new year?  Many well-known organizations and individuals are touting the positive impacts that physical activity can have on your health. 

• The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, has announced a call to action on walking recently. 
• First Lady Michelle Obama has put a lot of effort into promoting her Let's Move! campaign for the young and, I like to think, the young at heart. 
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends moving to improve your health in their latest issue of NIH News in Health.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tout Physical Activity as the Arthritis Pain Reliever and support a whole host of evidence-based physical activity interventions.

In Missouri, we offer several physical activity courses in areas near you to get you started, including the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program and Walk With Ease, a walking program that starts where you are at in terms of physical ability.  Regardless of whether or not you choose one of our programs, physical activity can make a big, positive difference for your health. 

Consider SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goal-setting this year.  It's okay to start with a small goal that you feel confident you can accomplish, and to add additional goals throughout the year as you complete one and are ready to move to another! 

Happy New Year!

Hip Pain from Osteoarthritis and Treatment Options

Non-Invasive Treatments for Osteoarthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis is diagnosed when cartilage at the ends of bones has become worn down by wear and tear and/or the aging process. Healthy cartilage acts as a shock absorber for joints, as bones move against one another or are affected by daily activities. Knees and hips are especially vulnerable to osteoarthritis. Once diagnosed, patients should make extra accommodations to prevent further knee or hip injury from occurring.

By taking preventative measures, and maximizing the benefits of non-invasive treatments such as diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications, patients can often avoid surgical treatments later on.

Diet

Diet is crucial to maintaining bone and joint health. The body is constantly replenishing depleted and damaged tissues with vitamins and nutrients via the blood supply. A deficient diet does not provide adequate nutrition, in which case bones and joints will suffer. Osteoarthritis patients should focus on eating a well-balanced diet, full of vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables. It is a good idea to discuss bone- and joint-specific supplements with a doctor. Many supplements, such as calcium, vitamin D and magnesium, help bones to build and maintain density. Others, such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, have been shown to improve joint health and alleviate pain.

Exercise

Patients with OA often avoid exercise due to painful joints and/or a fear of a severe joint injury. Unfortunately, a lack of exercise is often responsible for falls, breaks and pain. Exercise can actually alleviate joint pain. Bones require weight-bearing exercises to continue building density. Even low-impact weight-bearing activities such as weight lifting, yoga or Pilates are beneficial. Walking, water aerobics, and dance classes are examples of exercises that can help to improve balance and range of motion.

Balance is critical in avoiding falls, which are the leading cause of hip injuries. Flexibility is also important, so OA patients should always stretch before exercising and/or include exercises that emphasize stretching such as yoga, Tai Chi or certain dance styles.

Modifications

Simple modifications can slow down OA damage and/or prevent falls, including:

• Custom-made orthotic inserts can be used to help cushion knees, hips and the lower back from the impact of walking or jogging. This can help to slow the damage to joints and can also help to reduce joint pain.
• Handrails should be installed, and used, in high-risk fall areas such as stairways, bathrooms and showers.

Focusing on bone and joint health is critical to managing the pain of OA and preventing further injury.

Medical Device Recalls

Some patients have not been as fortunate and were not able to avoid surgery. Recent medical device recalls should have these osteoarthritis patients on high alert. For example, Stryker Corporation, a major joint replacement manufacturer, has recently recalled its Stryker Rejuvenate. The Rejuvenate is one of Stryker's "latest and greatest" innovations designed for hip replacement surgery.

Unfortunately, the device has been linked to high numbers of health complications. This is just one of several recalls. Rather than healing a patient's hip injury, hip replacement surgery can mean further tissue damage, metal toxicity and/or revision surgeries. Osteoarthritis patients can reduce osteoarthritis-related hip pain, and the chances of hip injury resulting in surgical interventions, by using non-invasive treatments.

 

 

Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.