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 everyone we know. According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe over 100 medical conditions and diseases, known as rheumatic diseases.¹ The CDC estimates that 52.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia).² Common symptoms generally include, but are not limited to:

• Joint pain
• Stiffness
• Inflammation or swelling (most frequently in the hips, knees, hands and wrists)

If you’d like to learn more, the ACR has gathered a wealth of information on all the different kinds of arthritis. And if you’re not sure how to participate in Arthritis Awareness Month, here are a few places to start:

• Sign the AF’s 2014 Arthritis Month Action Alert
• Check out the AF’s “Walk With Ease” program
• Find a national arthritis walk near you

Finally, with over 6,000 members, the rheumatoid arthritis community is the largest group of arthritis members on PatientsLikeMe, but many more are living with osteoarthritis (3,994) psoriatic arthritis (1,278) and other forms of the inflammatory condition. They’re donating their personal health data to help others learn about life with arthritis, and they’re always sharing in the forum about symptoms, treatments, advice and more.