If you suffer from arthritis, you are not alone. A study conducted by the National Council on Aging found that over 20 million people in the United States suffer from osteoarthritis (OA). Many doctors believe that number will double by the year 2020. Also, an earlier study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that OA disables about 10% of those 60 years or older. Chances are, if you are not personally suffering from OA, you probably know someone who does. Perhaps a family member or friend.
Over the next several weeks, I will be writing some additional articles about OA. I'll explain what osteoarthritis is, and what some of the arthritis treatments are that you can seek out to help control it. I hope you will find the articles informative, and I invite your comments and questions.
For anyone looking for an easy to read reference book about OA, please take a look at a guidebook I wrote initially for my patients. It's helping many of them - and it provides some great information. Most likely, it can answer many of your questions and also help you better understand the advice you receive from your doctor and pharmacist.
The title of book is Know Your Bones: Making Sense of Arthritis Medicine. You can read more information about the guidebook by clicking here or on the cover of the book and links in the upper left column of this blog.
So please look for these future articles. There will be lots of information about the numerous treatments that are available to you and how they differ. I'll also include health tips and some general advice many of my patients ask me about.
Stay tuned...
