|
News Releases
MU on Cutting Edge of Arthritis Treatment
Self-Management Can Be Useful Resource to Help Treat the Disease
Columbia, Mo. (Feb. 4, 2005) -- Although Vioxx is a thing of the past, arthritic pain is still alive and well in the lives of millions of Americans. Without this drug option, many people want to know what more they can do to improve their painful situation. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, education and self-management are key to improving the quality of life for Americans with arthritis.
"While the CDC has no role relevant to the Vioxx issue, medications are not the only way to relieve arthritis pain," says Chad Helmick, medical epidemiologist for the CDC's arthritis program. "This is a good time for everyone with arthritis to remember that there are underused, non-drug approaches to arthritis that can be effective in reducing pain. These include getting educated about arthritis self-management (e.g., the Arthritis Self-Help Course), staying physically active (e.g., People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) or Arthritis Foundation's Aquatics Program), and trying to achieve a healthy weight."
A non-drug approach is exactly what researchers at the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC) at the University of Missouri-Columbia are offering in order to determine whether non-drug interventions effectively provide arthritis relief. The impact of arthritis is felt in more than just the joints, it can complicate and challenge many aspects of a person's life from self-esteem and personal relationships to stress and employment. MARRTC's research projects may help people cope more effectively with these daily obstacles. Arthritis self-management and education along with drug therapy can possibly lead to an improved quality of life. People interested in non-drug arthritis research are invited to find out more about these current projects listed below:
Project 1: RAhelp.org: An Online Self-management Program for Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis
This online workshop teaches people how to cope with the disability in their daily lives. The program will offer participants additional education and support to enhance the services and advice they already receive from their doctor. Adults, 18 or older, who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, will be able to participate. Participants will be able to exchange e-mails and engage in discussions with other participants and the instructors who teach the program. Participants also will learn how to cope with rheumatoid arthritis in several distinct areas including pain reduction, self-esteem, self-efficacy, interpersonal relationships, fatigue, stress reduction and social support.
Project 3: Worksite Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention to Improve Employment Outcomes for Persons With Arthritis
This project seeks to determine what people with arthritis can do to improve their chances for retaining jobs and decreasing the effects of arthritis work-related problems. Specifically, researchers will measure the effects of worksite intervention on a person's job satisfaction, capacity to perform work duties, income, health status, and psychological well-being through educational materials or an on-site work evaluation by an occupational therapist. Participants will either receive educational information or on-site work visits. The scope of the information will be through either educational materials to develop strategies to compensate or one-to-one contact and an individualized work plan. The strategies will include recommendations for work behaviors, ergonomic and body mechanics considerations, and modifications for job tasks, equipment, and space.
Project 5: Fact from Fiction: Reading Between the Lines of Arthritis News and Advertising
Take MARRTC's free online self-help course "Fact from Fiction: Reading Between the Lines of Arthritis News and Advertising," and learn to tell the difference between credible and unproven remedies; how to evaluate information; and find beneficial self-care ideas. Students will interact with the instructor and other class members online for one hour per week for six weeks. While online, students will read prepared material and then test their knowledge. Lessons can be accessed at anytime and are designed for anyone, regardless of educational background. This course is not intended to provide information about specific products and their appropriateness for individuals and arthritis.
2005 Course 1 Dates:
July 11, 2005 - August 5, 2005
For information about MARRTC, call 1-800-995-8503 or visit its Web site at www.marrtc.org.
The Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions.
|
|
