May ushers in Arthritis Awareness Month

May ushers in Arthritis Awareness Month

While we here at CreakyJoints are bringing arthritis patients edgy and humorous support that addresses both our collective joys and fears, the folks at another national U.S. not-for-profit -- the Arthritis Foundation -- have been working tirelessly to bring together the medical field's best researchers with the money they need, as well as raising arthritis awareness among the general population.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Foundation is utilizing May -- Arthritis Awareness Month -- to promote its annual Arthritis Walks. These events take place in towns big and small, aiming to help the more than 46 million Americans reported to have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition.

The events also happen year-round -- including the May 10th walk in Huntsville, AL (which, as of press time, had raised over $18,000) and the November 8th walk in Lake Worth, FL (which, despite being six months away, has already raised over $7,000).

"The Arthritis Walk is [our] annual nationwide event that supports public awareness and raises funds to fight arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability," the Foundation's Web site explains. "The funds you raise will support critical Arthritis Foundation research and discoveries, public health initiatives, and public policy efforts to improve the lives of people with arthritis."

If you would like to join an Arthritis Walk yourself, sign-up is free and takes just a few minutes:

http://www.arthritis.org/arthritis-walk.php

Also, if you would like to support your neighbors, donations are easy to make, as the Foundation has teamed with Kintera.org to provide online donation homepages for both individual and team walkers. Credit card payments can be made through secure Web forms. Checks can be mailed to the contact info listed on the sites for individual cities.

The Arthritis Foundation describes itself as "the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $380 million in research grants since 1948." The Foundation "helps people 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."

To read more about the Foundation, Arthritis Awareness Month, the nation's Arthritis Walks, or the Center for Disease Control's Arthritis info site, click on the one of the links below:

Article References
Arthritis Foundation homepage, site accessed on 05/05/08

Arthritis Awareness Month, site accessed on 05/05/08

Arthritis Walk, site accessed on 05/05/08

Centers for Disease Control: Arthritis, site accessed on 05/05/08