Welcome Walkers and Their Dogs!
Saturday, June 20, 2009; 7:00 PM
NCAA Hall of Champions, 700 W Washington St.
http://2009arthritiswalkindy.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=300657
Roll out the red carpet because this year's walk has a Hollywood theme! Come dressed as your favorite celebrity and you might win a prize in the Hollywood Theme Contest. The Bow-Wow Beauty contest is back too, so sign up your dogs when you register.
The Indy Walk raises desperately needed funds to provide programs and services for the 1.4 million Hoosiers, including more than 6,000 children, with arthritis. The three-mile walk (with one-mile option) also supports research to find a cure and to fulfill our $150,000 commitment to train a new pediatric rheumatology fellow at Riley Hospital for Children.
Get your company involved or recruit friends and family members to form a team. Best of all, walk in honor of a loved one with arthritis and know you’re making a difference. Raise $100 or more and earn an official Arthritis Walk® T-shirt.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Arthritis Myths Debunked (1 in 4 have arthritis)
Arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability. That is not a myth. There are, however, numerous misconceptions about arthritis. Many people believe it only affects senior citizens and is nothing more than minor aches and pains. Some think that cracking one’s knuckles will cause arthritis, and others believe the disease is affected by the weather.
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, the perfect time to debunk these and other arthritis myths, and to provide education on the disease that affects 46 million Americans – that’s one in five people.
Arthritis does not exclusively affect seniors. In fact, more than 50 percent of people with arthritis are younger than age 65. Children, including infants and toddlers, can be diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, which affects nearly 300,000 American youth under the age of 18. Some of the most serious forms of arthritis occur in teenagers and in young adults in their 20s and 30s.
Several studies have found no association between knuckle cracking and arthritis, although the habit might affect grip strength over time. And, while living in cold, damp weather can aggravate arthritis pain, it will not affect disease progression. Some people with arthritis claim that warm and dry climates tend to decrease their pain, but study results show that arthritis pain may have no connection to barometric pressure, dampness, humidity, or any other component of weather.
Other misconceptions about arthritis include:
· Myth: Arthritis is a minor ailment characterized by minor aches and pains.
· Fact: Arthritis can cause severe disability – even death – affecting blood vessels, internal organs, connective tissue, cartilage and joints, and increasing risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
· Myth: There is only one type of arthritis.
· Fact: Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 inflammatory and noninflammatory diseases, including lupus, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and fibromyalgia.
· Myth: Not much can be done to combat arthritis.
· Fact: Access to healthcare, medications, physical and occupational therapy, evidence-based programs and workplace accommodations can improve health and well-being.
· Myth: Exercise only makes arthritis worse.
· Fact: Research shows that physical activity decreases pain, improves function and delays disability.
· Myth: Excess weight doesn’t affect arthritis.
· Fact: The frequency of arthritis increases with additional weight.
· Myth: Arthritis only affects the joints.
· Fact: In addition to joint swelling and pain, symptoms of arthritis can include infections of the skin, joint, kidney, lung, heart, nervous system and blood cells accompanied by fatigue, weakness and reduced mobility.
“There are several resources, including our Web site at www.arthritis.org, where people can find factual information about arthritis, its causes and treatments.”
Arthritis Walks: Please go to indiana.arthritis.org to learm more about how you can have fun and get great exercise at Arthritis Walks in Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Evansville.
About National Arthritis Awareness Month
National Arthritis Awareness Month was founded by Presidential Proclamation in 1972, and aims to increase awareness in the prevention and control of arthritis. Arthritis is the most common cause of disability for 46 million adults and nearly 300,000 children, hitting our economy with a hefty $128 billion price tag. The level of federal funding for arthritis public health and research has declined by nearly $28 million over the past six years, though the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent in the next two decades.
About the Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country.
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $400 million in research grants since 1948. The foundation helps individuals take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or http://www.arthritis.org/.
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, the perfect time to debunk these and other arthritis myths, and to provide education on the disease that affects 46 million Americans – that’s one in five people.
Arthritis does not exclusively affect seniors. In fact, more than 50 percent of people with arthritis are younger than age 65. Children, including infants and toddlers, can be diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, which affects nearly 300,000 American youth under the age of 18. Some of the most serious forms of arthritis occur in teenagers and in young adults in their 20s and 30s.
Several studies have found no association between knuckle cracking and arthritis, although the habit might affect grip strength over time. And, while living in cold, damp weather can aggravate arthritis pain, it will not affect disease progression. Some people with arthritis claim that warm and dry climates tend to decrease their pain, but study results show that arthritis pain may have no connection to barometric pressure, dampness, humidity, or any other component of weather.
Other misconceptions about arthritis include:
· Myth: Arthritis is a minor ailment characterized by minor aches and pains.
· Fact: Arthritis can cause severe disability – even death – affecting blood vessels, internal organs, connective tissue, cartilage and joints, and increasing risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
· Myth: There is only one type of arthritis.
· Fact: Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 inflammatory and noninflammatory diseases, including lupus, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and fibromyalgia.
· Myth: Not much can be done to combat arthritis.
· Fact: Access to healthcare, medications, physical and occupational therapy, evidence-based programs and workplace accommodations can improve health and well-being.
· Myth: Exercise only makes arthritis worse.
· Fact: Research shows that physical activity decreases pain, improves function and delays disability.
· Myth: Excess weight doesn’t affect arthritis.
· Fact: The frequency of arthritis increases with additional weight.
· Myth: Arthritis only affects the joints.
· Fact: In addition to joint swelling and pain, symptoms of arthritis can include infections of the skin, joint, kidney, lung, heart, nervous system and blood cells accompanied by fatigue, weakness and reduced mobility.
“There are several resources, including our Web site at www.arthritis.org, where people can find factual information about arthritis, its causes and treatments.”
Arthritis Walks: Please go to indiana.arthritis.org to learm more about how you can have fun and get great exercise at Arthritis Walks in Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Evansville.
About National Arthritis Awareness Month
National Arthritis Awareness Month was founded by Presidential Proclamation in 1972, and aims to increase awareness in the prevention and control of arthritis. Arthritis is the most common cause of disability for 46 million adults and nearly 300,000 children, hitting our economy with a hefty $128 billion price tag. The level of federal funding for arthritis public health and research has declined by nearly $28 million over the past six years, though the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent in the next two decades.
About the Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country.
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $400 million in research grants since 1948. The foundation helps individuals take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or http://www.arthritis.org/.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dr. Bowyer Honored by Arthritis Foundation
Dr. Suzanne L. Bowyer will be honored with the 2009 Humanitarian Award to be presented by the Arthritis Foundation at Fire and Ice, to be held March 21 at the Downtown Hilton in Indianapolis. Individual tickets are $125. Tables of eight are $1,000. Corporate sponsorships also are available.
Dr. Bowyer and her colleagues at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children provide care to most of the more than 6,400 children in Indiana with juvenile arthritis. Dr. Bowyer is an associate professor of pediatrics, director of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, and director of the pediatric residency program at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She specializes in the treatment of children with rheumatic diseases, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
She is the dean of pediatric rheumatologists in Indiana, and a national leader. We are pleased to honor her for her years of service.
Nationally, there are only about 200 pediatric rheumatologists in the United States. There are only three in Indiana and all are at Riley. A recent federal study noted that a 75 percent increase in the field was needed to adequately treat America’s children.
In addition, a three-year, $150,000 fellowship provided by the Indiana Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation is funding the training of Dr. Stacey Tarvin to join the ranks of pediatric rheumatologists.
Dr. Bowyer received her medical degree from and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Michigan. She completed a fellowship in pediatric allergy/rheumatology at the University of Colorado and the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Bowyer received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University.
She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Fellow), Member, Subsection Pediatric Rheumatology; American College of Rheumatology (Fellow) and was recently re-elected Chair of Executive Council, Section of Pediatric Rheumatology.
Please contact me at 317-879-0321, extenstion 201, or ewills@arthrtis.org, to purchase tickets or for more information.
Dr. Bowyer and her colleagues at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children provide care to most of the more than 6,400 children in Indiana with juvenile arthritis. Dr. Bowyer is an associate professor of pediatrics, director of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, and director of the pediatric residency program at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She specializes in the treatment of children with rheumatic diseases, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
She is the dean of pediatric rheumatologists in Indiana, and a national leader. We are pleased to honor her for her years of service.
Nationally, there are only about 200 pediatric rheumatologists in the United States. There are only three in Indiana and all are at Riley. A recent federal study noted that a 75 percent increase in the field was needed to adequately treat America’s children.
In addition, a three-year, $150,000 fellowship provided by the Indiana Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation is funding the training of Dr. Stacey Tarvin to join the ranks of pediatric rheumatologists.
Dr. Bowyer received her medical degree from and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Michigan. She completed a fellowship in pediatric allergy/rheumatology at the University of Colorado and the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine. Dr. Bowyer received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University.
She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Fellow), Member, Subsection Pediatric Rheumatology; American College of Rheumatology (Fellow) and was recently re-elected Chair of Executive Council, Section of Pediatric Rheumatology.
Please contact me at 317-879-0321, extenstion 201, or ewills@arthrtis.org, to purchase tickets or for more information.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Is There an Arthritis-Diabetes Connection?
Is there a relationship between arthritis and diabetes?
One way to learn more about possible links between the diseases is to read "Arthritis and Diabetes," a 12-page brochure recently released by The Arthritis Foundation.
This pamphlet is “important because of the number of people in the United States with both diseases,” said Jenny Conder, Director of Health Promotions for the Indiana Chapter. “The medical community has just started to emphasize this problem, and more should be done to make people aware of how they can keep both conditions under control.”
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers, almost half of people in the United States with arthritis also suffer from diabetes – 46 million adults in the U.S. have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and 21 million of those adults also have diabetes. Arthritis and diabetes are not directly related, but the diseases often overlap through the musculoskeletal system, the organ system that gives humans the ability to physically move by using the muscles and skeletal system. Diabetes causes musculoskeletal changes that lead to joint pain and stiffness, swelling, nodules under the skin, and other arthritic symptoms.
According to an article from WebMD, arthritis gives people with diabetes a new reason to exercise, but it also creates new barriers to physical activity. Physical inactivity is a detriment to both arthritis and diabetes, and being overweight or obese only increases the likelihood of worsening both arthritis and diabetes. Arthritis Foundation exercise and aquatic programs provide moderate aerobic exercise that is friendly to arthritic joints and also physical activity adequate for the control of diabetes. For more information on our exericese and acquatics programs, please contact Ms. Conder at jconder@arthritis.org or 317-879-0321 x 200.
In addition to awareness of exercise methods that suit both arthritis and diabetes, it is important for patients to be aware of interaction of medications. According to an article written by Dr. Thomas Pressly, patients who do develop arthritis as a result of or simultaneously with diabetes have many treatment options such as exercise programs, rest and attention to foot care including proper shoes, and prompt treatment of bones and related structures. Dr. Pressly recommends contacting the Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Association, and your doctor with questions for appropriate treatment of both arthritis and diabetes.
One way to learn more about possible links between the diseases is to read "Arthritis and Diabetes," a 12-page brochure recently released by The Arthritis Foundation.
This pamphlet is “important because of the number of people in the United States with both diseases,” said Jenny Conder, Director of Health Promotions for the Indiana Chapter. “The medical community has just started to emphasize this problem, and more should be done to make people aware of how they can keep both conditions under control.”
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers, almost half of people in the United States with arthritis also suffer from diabetes – 46 million adults in the U.S. have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and 21 million of those adults also have diabetes. Arthritis and diabetes are not directly related, but the diseases often overlap through the musculoskeletal system, the organ system that gives humans the ability to physically move by using the muscles and skeletal system. Diabetes causes musculoskeletal changes that lead to joint pain and stiffness, swelling, nodules under the skin, and other arthritic symptoms.
According to an article from WebMD, arthritis gives people with diabetes a new reason to exercise, but it also creates new barriers to physical activity. Physical inactivity is a detriment to both arthritis and diabetes, and being overweight or obese only increases the likelihood of worsening both arthritis and diabetes. Arthritis Foundation exercise and aquatic programs provide moderate aerobic exercise that is friendly to arthritic joints and also physical activity adequate for the control of diabetes. For more information on our exericese and acquatics programs, please contact Ms. Conder at jconder@arthritis.org or 317-879-0321 x 200.
In addition to awareness of exercise methods that suit both arthritis and diabetes, it is important for patients to be aware of interaction of medications. According to an article written by Dr. Thomas Pressly, patients who do develop arthritis as a result of or simultaneously with diabetes have many treatment options such as exercise programs, rest and attention to foot care including proper shoes, and prompt treatment of bones and related structures. Dr. Pressly recommends contacting the Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Association, and your doctor with questions for appropriate treatment of both arthritis and diabetes.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Lemonade from Lemons
Have you ever made plans for a big event only to have them crash around you due to inclement weather? It's likely that you have. It could have been a wedding. A picnic. Or just about anything that involves sunshine.
We got a taste of that at the Indiana Chapter, Arthritis Foundation, recently when thunder, lightening, and pouring rain put an end to the Indianapolis Arthritis Walk. We had planned for 500 walkers and nearly 100 dogs to walk along the downtown canal in the dog walk's inaugural year.
We also were depending on reaching our goal of $60,000 to help find a cure for arthritis and to provide services to those with the disease.
We planned to have most of our activities outside with NCAA Headquarters hosting only the packet pick up area. We had a few tents, but nothing that would have protected us in a storm of the magnitude that hit Indy that morning. Needless to say, walkers would have been at the mercy of the elements during the three-mile stroll.
Things looked bleak, then good things began to happen.
First, our friends at the NCAA invited us to move inside. With the building's accommodating staff lending a helping hand, we quickly had tables, chairs, and everything inside the spacious headquarters. Thanks Kim, Candace, Nathan, and Anthony.
Then, people started to show up: volunteers and walkers.
Surely, they had seen the weather forecast and experienced first-hand the pouring rain and lightening. Still, they came down just in case the walk would get going. Much to our surprise, about 200 folks--and a handful of dog owners with their dogs-- showed up.
Then, the fun broke out. People began talking to each other. They picked up their t-shirts and goodie bags. They had team pictures taken. They visited the health fair and talked to chiropractors, shoe companies, orthopedic practices, and the others. They heard Winnie Ballard, wife of Indy Mayor Greg Ballard, talk about her successful fight with arthritis. And special thanks to Walk Chair Pat Milner, who could be seen mixing, mingling, and sharing a smile with everyone.
And about that all important $60,000 goal. Well, looks like we'll hit it. The rains just slowed us down, it didn't stop us. At last count, we had collected $57,861 and that total will increase Wednesday (June 25) when we have our walk celebration at Milano Inn, 2315 S. College at 6 p.m. Join us, if you're up for some fun.
We'll enjoy a festive meal, share stories, and those who could not come that rainy morning will turn in the money the collected for that day when we made lemons into lemonade.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
LPGA Player Drives to Help Kids With Arthritis
I would have never thought that professional sports and arthritis go together. Frankly, the words are an unlikely pairing reminiscent of oil and vinegar, fire and ice, or hot and cold.
Yet, the two seeming opposites co-exist in the body of a special athlete: Ladies Professional Golf Association Player Kristy McPherson. In her second year on the tour, Kristy lives with the remnants of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
“When the doctors said “no sports,” I knew I’d work as hard as I needed to get back. My life would have been completely different if I wouldn’t have gotten sick. I probably would never have played golf,” says the twenty-eight-year-old University of South Carolina graduate.
Diagnosed at 11, Kristy spent months in and out of the hospital and had to be home-schooled for several years. Doctors told her she’d never play sports again. Boy were they wrong!
As one who knows how arthritis ravages the body, McPherson is willing to lend a hand to raise money to find a cure for those suffering with the disease. That’s why she was in Indianapolis recently to participate in the Arthritis Foundation Golf Outing at The Fort Golf Course. In spite of a super busy schedule as a tour player, this was the second year that she found her way to Indianapolis to lend a hand with the event.
This outing, whose net proceeds will help fund a pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, raised approximately $28,000 with 25 foursomes participating. Thanks to Brown and Brown Insurance for being the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included: OrthoIndy, Monarch Beverage, WISH-TV Channel 8, National City Bank, A2Z Café, Wright Orthopedics, OrthoPediatrics and the Indiana Media Group.
These sponsors and players helped the chapter fulfill a $150,000 commitment to fund a three-year fellowship at Riley, one of the nation’s top facilities for pediatric care and research. The fellowship will train a physician in the specialized needs of children. Currently, only three such specialists exist in Indiana, where there are 6,400 kids with juvenile arthritis. Nationally, there are 300,000 kids with arthritis and a critically low 200 pediatric rheumatologists. A recent federal study recommended a 75 percent increase in the number of such physicians. Without more specialists, children will suffer unnecessary joint damage, pain, and misdiagnosis
At five-foot-six inches, McPherson packs a wallop into her compact body. Her average driving distance is 249 yards, something that most men would love to boast. This year, she’s performing much better on the tour. She attributes it partly to being more familiar with courses and the routines of being a pro golfer. She’s earned $128,441 this year on the LPGA tour and the season is only at mid-year.
Win or lose on the golf course, Kristy is a winner in the hearts and minds of those in Indiana, especially the thousands of children who will benefit from the pediatritirc rheumatologists partly funded by a golf outing she helped to make a success.
This blog was written by Edward Wills, Jr., president and CEO of the Indiana Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. He can be reached at ewills@arthritis.org or 317-879-0321, extension 201. The chapter’s web site is at: Indiana.arthritis.org
Yet, the two seeming opposites co-exist in the body of a special athlete: Ladies Professional Golf Association Player Kristy McPherson. In her second year on the tour, Kristy lives with the remnants of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
“When the doctors said “no sports,” I knew I’d work as hard as I needed to get back. My life would have been completely different if I wouldn’t have gotten sick. I probably would never have played golf,” says the twenty-eight-year-old University of South Carolina graduate.
Diagnosed at 11, Kristy spent months in and out of the hospital and had to be home-schooled for several years. Doctors told her she’d never play sports again. Boy were they wrong!
As one who knows how arthritis ravages the body, McPherson is willing to lend a hand to raise money to find a cure for those suffering with the disease. That’s why she was in Indianapolis recently to participate in the Arthritis Foundation Golf Outing at The Fort Golf Course. In spite of a super busy schedule as a tour player, this was the second year that she found her way to Indianapolis to lend a hand with the event.
This outing, whose net proceeds will help fund a pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, raised approximately $28,000 with 25 foursomes participating. Thanks to Brown and Brown Insurance for being the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included: OrthoIndy, Monarch Beverage, WISH-TV Channel 8, National City Bank, A2Z Café, Wright Orthopedics, OrthoPediatrics and the Indiana Media Group.
These sponsors and players helped the chapter fulfill a $150,000 commitment to fund a three-year fellowship at Riley, one of the nation’s top facilities for pediatric care and research. The fellowship will train a physician in the specialized needs of children. Currently, only three such specialists exist in Indiana, where there are 6,400 kids with juvenile arthritis. Nationally, there are 300,000 kids with arthritis and a critically low 200 pediatric rheumatologists. A recent federal study recommended a 75 percent increase in the number of such physicians. Without more specialists, children will suffer unnecessary joint damage, pain, and misdiagnosis
At five-foot-six inches, McPherson packs a wallop into her compact body. Her average driving distance is 249 yards, something that most men would love to boast. This year, she’s performing much better on the tour. She attributes it partly to being more familiar with courses and the routines of being a pro golfer. She’s earned $128,441 this year on the LPGA tour and the season is only at mid-year.
Win or lose on the golf course, Kristy is a winner in the hearts and minds of those in Indiana, especially the thousands of children who will benefit from the pediatritirc rheumatologists partly funded by a golf outing she helped to make a success.
This blog was written by Edward Wills, Jr., president and CEO of the Indiana Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. He can be reached at ewills@arthritis.org or 317-879-0321, extension 201. The chapter’s web site is at: Indiana.arthritis.org
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