Remission: What Exactly Does it Mean for JIA?

The goal of pediatric rheumatologists and their patients has always been for children diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) to be as healthy as they can be.  With more medicines that work better today than ever before, doctors and families now have a goal of complete disease control.  A patient can have complete disease control, or remission while on or off of medicines. In medical terms, complete disease control or remission means clinical inactive disease (CID) and doctors have this list of things to look at when deciding if a patient is in CID: No joints with active arthritis (swelling, pain, ...more

T2T: Treat To Target for Kids With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

What is Treat to Target (T2T)? Treat to Target is a name for one of the ways we take care of kids who have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to get better results. T2T works by making providers, patients, and their care-givers partners in setting goals.   The first step is when everyone on the team talks about treatment goals and personal goals.  When everyone agrees on goals, they can work together to make a plan.  This helps patients feel like they have more control.  The hope is that patients will be more active and happy.  Their disease can get better, the side ...more

Arthritis Foundation-CARRA Transdisciplinary Research Grant Recipients

The Arthritis Foundation recently funded two new Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) transdisciplinary research grants. Dr. Joyce Chang and Dr. Natoshia Cunningham have been awarded two years of funding for each of their projects. Dr. Chang’s project relates to care for adolescents with chronic rheumatic diseases as they transition to adult care. Dr. Cunningham’s study will examine cognitive behavioral therapy as a way for kids with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) to manage fatigue, pain and depression. Joyce Chang, MD, MSCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Measuring Post-Transfer Outcomes and Building a Framework to Implement Structured Transition Processes Across Rheumatic Diseases This is ...more

The Arthritis Champions Scholarship is OPEN!

The Arthritis Foundation is proud to announce that the 2020-2021Arthritis Champions Scholarship application process is open! The Arthritis Champions Scholarship is generously funded by Dr. & Mrs. Walter J. Winterhoff and Dr. Smriti Bardhan. The scholarship is awarded annually to deserving students with arthritis or a related rheumatic disease who: Impact the arthritis community, serving as positive role models and leaders Live their best life, while empowering others to do the same Since 2010 the Arthritis Champions Scholarship has supported 42 college students, granting $500,000 altogether in scholarship awards. Nearly 800 applications have been received since expanding to a nationwide program three ...more

Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast – Episode 3: Trendy Diets

It’s common knowledge that healthy diets can improve arthritis symptoms. Yet, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with new diet fads and conflicting research reports. In this episode, Rebecca and Julie tackle the most common diet trends for people with arthritis and discuss the pros, cons and risks. Nutrition expert and registered dietitian, Dr. Lona Sandon, will help us separate fact from fiction. Here’s a run-down of diets discussed on the episode: Keto – The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Paleo – A paleo diet includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and limits dairy, grains and legumes, including beans ...more

More Studies Show Opioids’ Risks Outweigh Benefits for Arthritis

Two new studies presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting examine the role of opioid medications in treating rheumatic conditions. The first study found hospitalizations for opioid use disorder in people with osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders have surged over the past two decades. The second found that these drugs have only a small benefit for pain and function and do not significantly improve people’s quality of life. While these are just two of many studies on the topic, they highlight how complicated the treatment of chronic pain is. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared ...more

January Arthritis News Update

We consistently learn more about identifying the symptoms of arthritis and how it affects people’s day-to-day lives. Here are a few inspiring developments in the world of arthritis over the past month. FDA Issues Stern Warning to CBD Industry The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 15 companies for selling products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The FDA also published a revised Consumer Update detailing safety concerns about CBD products more broadly. The FDA warning particularly focuses on ingestibles and products that fall outside of the Arthritis Foundation’s ...more

New Year, New You Fighting Back When You Have Gout

Now that the holiday feasts are over and the New Year is here, it’s a good time to take stock of your diet and consider healthy changes – especially if you have gout. Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that can unleash intensely painful flares in individual joints, often in the big toe. An estimated 8 million Americans experience gout attacks, which can last for a few days. The condition can also become chronic and lead to the destruction of joints. Although there’s no cure, there are medications to control gout, as well as lifestyle changes you can make ...more

Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast-Episode 2-Mindfulness

Living with arthritis can lead to major stress. Which can lead to more pain! It’s a vicious cycle that can leave you mentally and physically exhausted. Research suggests that mindfulness practices can help people living with chronic pain. But the idea of even practicing mindfulness and meditation to break that pain chain can be scary. In this episode, Rebecca and Julie learn how stress impacts our bodies and our brains. They explore simple ways to introduce mindfulness into arthritis care management. Dr. Nicole Reilly helps us understand how our bodies respond to pain and what we can do to break the cycle. ...more

Let’s Add an Out-of-Pocket Cap in Medicare Part D

My name is Andrea Penny Greenblatt, and I’ve had psoriatic arthritis for over 35 years. I’m also an Arthritis Foundation Advocate. About four years ago, I joined the Medicare program and faced unexpectedly high out-of-pocket costs on Medicare Part D. Last March, when I participated in the Arthritis Foundation’s Advocacy Summit, I told as many people as I could about my challenge. At that time, there wasn’t much anyone could do since no solutions were being discussed. But I’ve been reading about what Congress is now trying to do to cap out-of-pocket costs, and I wanted to share my story so ...more