October 12th is World Arthritis Day. The observance aims to help raise awareness of the existence and impact of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a joint disease that causes inflammation. Joints in the hands, knees, wrists, and ankles are the most affected.

The condition, which usually starts with inflammation, can progress into joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and in some cases, deformation.

According to statistics from the CDC, in 2020, 63 million adult Americans reported that their doctors had diagnosed them with some form of arthritis. The number of diagnosed adults is expected to rise to 72 million by 2030.

There are more than 100 types of arthritis, of which rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and Ankylosing Spondylitis are some of the most common and devastating.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, causing inflammation, chronic pain, joint damage, unsteadiness, and joint deformity.

Although RA typically affects joints, the disease can also cause damage to the lungs, heart, and eyes.

Experts estimate that some 1.5 million U.S. adults have rheumatoid arthritis. The disease is more common in women than males. Women have a lifetime risk of 3.6% of developing the condition compared to only 1.7% of men.

Psoriatic Arthritis

With Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), the inflammation attacks joint tissue and also affects the skin and nails, causing pain and damage. However, because of chronic inflammation, other organs can also be affected.

PsA often develops between the ages of 30 and 50; however, it can start at any age. Many patients develop psoriasis first and don’t experience any arthritis symptoms for years. Others develop psoriatic arthritis without noticing or developing psoriasis.

According to estimates, approximately 1 million people in the United States have psoriatic arthritis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune form of arthritis. It causes inflammation, severe pain, and stiffness in the spine and the sacroiliac joints (joints above the tailbone). The condition can also attack the ligaments and tendons where they attach to the bones.

The onset of the disease usually occurs between the ages of 17 and 45.

The Spondylitis Association of America estimates that nearly 1 in every 100,000 Americans has spondylarthritis and approximately 54% of patients remain undiagnosed for at least five years.

How to Raise Awareness

Even though arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the country, the sad reality is that most people haven’t heard much about it, and therefore don’t know how debilitating and disruptive the diagnosis can be for those who live with it.

Here are three ways you can help raise awareness

Share Your Story

If you have arthritis or know someone who does, be proud of your journey and share your story with others.

While it’s never easy to open up about personal struggles, your bravery can help improve the lives of many patients and caregivers who are experiencing similar challenges.

Support Nonprofits

Support nonprofit organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation, the Arthritis National Research Foundation, and Creaky Joints by purchasing their merchandise, sharing their social media posts, or donating.

Proceeds from donations and purchases go towards a common goal that involves educating patients, physicians, lawmakers, the general public and research in the hopes of one day finding a cure for arthritis.

Educate Yourself

Everyone can benefit from learning about arthritis. By keeping yourself informed, you can access new findings that can provide valuable information to help improve patient outcomes and improve quality of life. 

Even if you are not a patient or treating physician, learning about arthritis can help you understand others living with the disease.

The role of Biologics in The Treatment of Arthritis

The biologics used in the treatment of arthritis are disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD). 

Doctors prescribe these medications for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis patients who have difficulty managing their disease symptoms with conventional DMARD’s alone.

Biologics can provide life-changing results for many patients as they work to suppress specific inflammatory reactions in the body. This makes them highly efficient in targeting inflammation with fewer adverse effects.

We hope you join us in celebrating World Arthritis Day! Together we can raise awareness and improve access to biologic treatments and help improve the quality of life of arthritis patients.