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News Releases
Live Like Your Life Depends on It!
Columbia, Mo. (March 19, 2008) - For millions of Americans living with a chronic condition like arthritis, pain, fatigue, and joint stiffness are often part of daily life. But in just six weeks, you can learn to reduce these symptoms and improve your every day life.
The Southwest Regional Arthritis Center in Springfield, Mo., will offer a six-week class for people with arthritis and other chronic diseases called "Live Like Your Life Depends on It!" This weekly class, March 27 through May 1, will show people with arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, lupus and other chronic conditions how to cope and live better with chronic disease.
"Studies show people who take class improve their health, decrease disability and health distress plus have decreased hospital days and physician visits," says Margaret Lindsey, RN, director of the Southwest Regional Arthritis Center at the St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, Mo.
"Live Like Your Life Depends on It!" will teach people with a chronic disease how to deal with problems such as pain and fatigue. Other subjects include:
- Techniques to deal with frustration and isolation
- Safe exercise to maintain and improve strength, flexibility, and endurance
- Medications
- Communicating with health care professionals, family, and friends
- Healthy eating
- Problem solving skills,
- Other topics related to chronic disease
Research has shown those who participate in self-management courses can reduce their pain by 20 percent and hospital visits by 40 percent.
"The Chronic Disease Self- Management class is free and we encourage a family member to attend as well," says Lindsey.
The self-management classes will take place Thursdays, from 10:00 a.m. until noon at St. John's Health Plans Building at 3265 W. National Avenue in Springfield. The class is free and open to the public. To register, call (417) 820-3665 or (800) 835-5197.
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation 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. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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