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News Releases
CDC Quotes MARRTC Researcher on Arthritis and Exercise
Columbia, Mo. (Aug. 2, 2001) - Marian Minor, a researcher and principal investigator with the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC), was quoted in a new publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation’s leading public health agency.
"Targeting Arthritis: The Nation’s Leading Cause of Disability," a publication issued by the CDC on July 23, 2001, quoted Minor in its main story.
The "At A Glance" publication summarizes the effects and facts of arthritis and is designed to educate the public, health-care providers, and policy makers about arthritis, according to Joe Sniezek, MD, MPH, chief of the CDC’s Arthritis Program.
Minor, Ph.D., Physical Therapist, is an associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the headquarters of MARRTC. The MARRTC is a federally funded organization, supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
The CDC's Arthritis Efforts
The document is the CDC’s latest move in its continued effort to stem the effects of arthritis.
In 1998, the CDC issued the National Arthritis Action Plan (NAAP), outlining a national public health initiative with recommendations for action to be taken at the individual, state and federal level. Then in 1999 and 2000, the CDC administered grants to help states develop or expand their efforts to implement the NAAP.
Taking action on this chronic disease is crucial because arthritis, the report notes, is the country’s leading cause of disability.
Yet, as the quote from Minor highlights, there is much people with arthritis can do to prevent or minimize the effects of arthritis.
The report states: "For people who do develop arthritis, the accompanying pain and disability can be minimized through early diagnosis and appropriate management, including weight control, physical activity, and programs to increase people’s ability to manage their condition."
However, the report continues, many people are not aware of this - despite the proven success of self-help courses that include physical activity. Research shows the six-week Arthritis Self-Help Course reduces arthritis pain by 20 percent and physician visits by 40 percent.
Minor on Arthritis and Exercise
Minor has spent much of her career conducting research on the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of arthritis. In fact, she pioneered this field during a time when most physicians were still recommending rest, not exercise, for people with arthritis.
Today, Minor is a principal investigator for two MARRTC projects. One is a research project investigating the benefits of self-management exercise programs for people with arthritis.
The other project headed by Minor will stage an international conference on exercise in arthritis on Sept. 21 and 22 in St. Louis.
The first of its kind, the event will bring together 30 international scientists and arthritis researchers to explore what is known and what questions need to be answered about arthritis and exercise.
The title of the event is "Health Promotion and Disability Prevention for Individuals and Populations Rheumatic Disease: Evidence for Exercise and Physical Activity."
The event is cosponsored by the American College of Rheumatology, the largest professional organization of health-care professionals in the field of rheumatology. The ACR also will publish all the conference proceedings in the 2002 issues of Arthritis Care and Research, a scientific journal of the ACR.
The conference also is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases as well as by the CDC.
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