Help millions of people live with less pain and fund groundbreaking research to discover a cure for this devastating disease.
Paying It Forward to Solve Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) isn’t just a disease that affects older adults; it’s the most common form of arthritis, affecting more than 30 million Americans. Anyone who injures or overuses their joints, including athletes, military members and people who work physically demanding jobs, may be more susceptible to developing this disease as they age. OA is a chronic condition that can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe. There is no cure for OA. OA incidence continues to grow in the United ...more
Patients Tell Us About CBD Use
Managing the chronic pain of arthritis every day can be a major balancing act. Those suffering from arthritis are desperate to find ways to decrease pain and improve sleep and their overall ability to function. Today, it’s common for people with arthritis to be asked: “Have you tried CBD for your arthritis pain?” The Arthritis Foundation recently asked this question in a survey, and more than 2,600 arthritis patients answered. People with many different types of arthritis responded — the majority of whom have been living with osteoarthritis (52%) or rheumatoid arthritis (45%) for 10 or more years. The results were clear: ...more
Meet Matthew Clark: One of Our Newest Foundation-Sponsored Fellows!
Because access to care is not always guaranteed, we’ve been working to help close the gap on the nation’s rheumatologist shortage through our fellowship initiative . In June, we announced four new fellowship awards for 2019. One of those grants was offered to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which recently announced a three‑year pediatric fellowship to Dr. Matthew Clark. Dr. Clark hopes to build a niche in treating children with early immune symptoms that occur because of immune deficiency. During his pediatric residency, Dr. Clark served on the graduate medical education committee at Vanderbilt and was awarded the Most Outstanding Teacher Award ...more
Safe Step Act Needs Your Support
Read about what step therapy put a young arthritis patient through. My name is Sophie Sherman, and I am a rising high school senior from Brookline, Massachusetts. When I was 11, my parents started to notice that I wasn’t acting like myself. Instead of spending time with my friends after school, I would take four-hour-long naps on the living room sofa. Instead of asking for seconds on pasta night, I would barely touch my plate. It seemed like everything I did, be it physical or mental, consumed every ounce of my energy. The breaking point for me happened during our family vacation ...more
Houston Kicks Off the 2019 National Juvenile Arthritis Conference Today!
Houston Kicks Off the 2019 National Juvenile Arthritis Conference Today! Over 800 kids, teens, young adults and their families from across the country are landing in Houston, Texas, for the first of two National Juvenile Arthritis (JA) Conferences the Arthritis Foundation is hosting this year. This week’s conference will kick off our 35th annual gathering of JA families during JA Awareness Month, and offers a variety of events and informational program tracks focused on education, connecting with others and fun. The JA Conference is a unique opportunity to bring together families of kids, teens and young adults affected by JA and other rheumatic diseases. Over ...moreWisconsin Step Therapy Reform Bill Signed into Law
WI Governor Tony Evers Signs Step Therapy Bill with Arthritis Foundation Advocates Looking On On July 9th, 2019, Wisconsin joined the ranks of 27 states that have passed legislation to curb step therapy. This legislation places important guardrails to protect patients from the inappropriate use of burdensome step therapy protocols making patients “fail first” before they can take the medication originally prescribed. This would not have happened without our WI Step Therapy Coalition partners and the amazing arthritis Advocates and Ambassadors that stepped up to share their stories through testimony, public media, phone calls and in-person legislative visits in Madison. It was ...more
July Is JA Awareness Month: Help Give Kids the Chance to Feel Included
The school year is an opportunity to enjoy some of the best memories with friends. But for many kids with juvenile arthritis (JA) and other rheumatic conditions, being in school can sometimes bring feelings of isolation. Many kids with JA have never met a friend with the same diagnosis. They never get to take a break from a serious illness that’s often quite painful, makes the immune system go haywire and can be downright lonely at times. Summer break, however, is another story! The Arthritis Foundation provides camp programs and our National Juvenile Arthritis Conference in two locations, giving kids with ...more
Advocates Gather in Harrisburg to Advocate for Patient Protections
In Pennsylvania, we’re working on legislation to streamline patient access to care. And we can’t do it alone. On June 5, Arthritis Foundation Advocates traveled to Harrisburg for a state legislative day. They shared their stories with legislators and asked for support on two important bills. Attendees of the legislative day had a morning training session where they learned about the issues and skills needed for the meetings. They saw how these bills would make a difference for people with arthritis and why it’s important to tell your story to lawmakers. Then they met with elected officials to talk about their ...more