Fighting back against arthritis

ARTHRITIS is the single biggest cause of physical disability in Northern Ireland and is responsible for one in every five visits to the GP's surgery.

It affects 230,000 people in Northern Ireland, which represents around 1 in 7 of the population. Around 30,000 of all those affected are under 45, including 400 children.

Now Arthritis Care Northern Ireland, thanks to funding from the Northern Health and Social Care Board is able to offer some hope to those living with the pain of arthritis.

Challenging Arthritis, a six-week self-management programme designed to help people manage the pain and fatigue of the disease is being run in Antrim Day Centre, Station Road.

All the sessions are run by volunteers who have arthritis and therefore know first-hand what it is like.

Nancy Toner, a Challenging Arthritis course leader, said: "I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was sixteen. For many years I was completely in the dark and very frightened about what was happening to my body. Any information for a patient was often very difficult to come by. Years of hospital appointments, trial and error with various medications, culminated in my first joint replacement at the age of 39.

"In 2003, I saw an advert for Challenging Arthritis. This was a turning point in my life. Going on the course enabled me to meet other people who had exactly the same pain and problems that I had been living with so many years. After the course I was asked to become a Training Volunteer – I had got so much out of the course that I was very happy to spread the good news and started my training immediately.”

Challenging Arthritis begins on Thursday, April 22 from 10.30am to 1pm in Antrim Day Centre and is a six-week course, lasting two-and-a-half hours each week. It covers topics like pain management, relaxation techniques, action planning, diet and exercise. It also helps to build confidence in dealing with health professionals, and gives participants the opportunity to meet other people with arthritis. This course is completely FREE to all participants.

To register for a place on the course please contact Yvonne on 028 9078 2940 or [email protected] Further information on training and other services provided by Arthritis Care can be found on www.arthritiscare.org.uk