My one in five is my mom. About 12 years ago, at the age of 60, my mom slipped on a patch of ice and broke her foot. (It was Christmas Eve, but that's another post!) That was when she got her official diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a form of inflammatory arthritis and an autoimmune disease. Overall my mom is pretty lucky. She has chosen to go the homeopathic route, taking a regimen of turmeric, fish oil and CoQ-10. She also swims and does water aerobics three times a week. Her doctor monitors her condition with regular hand x-rays to determine if the disease is getting worse. WE are happy to report she seems to be in remission, but still prone to a bad day here or there, depending on the weather.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, an estimated 1.3 million people in the United States have RA – that’s almost 1 percent of the nation’s adult population, and women are more prone to the disease than men. In women, RA commonly occurs between the ages of 30 and 60. The cause of RA is not yet known; however, most scientists agree that a combination of genetic and environmental factors is responsible.
Since 1996, The Arthritis Foundation has supported World Arthritis Day on October 12. It is part of a global awareness initiative by the United Nations-endorsed Bone and Joint Decade.
Do you or someone you love suffer with Arthritis? Check out the Pain Tip App, where you can learn tips on how to manage osteoarthritis pain and share tips of your own.
catch you soon -
The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the unacceptable impact of this serious and painful disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.
note - I did not receive any compensation for this post, it is simply a cause near and dear to my heart. As always, all opinions are my very own.
Thanks for the post. I think we all need to understand how many Americans are affect about arthritis. I am glad to hear you mom is having luck with more gentle solutions.
ReplyDeleteI have Rheumatoid Arthritis too. I tried to do w/out meds for a long time, but am now on Humira. Happy to hear that your mother is doing well without prescription drugs.
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