Arthritis and childhood
(top of page) Arthritis and HRQL There is a great deal of information suggesting that arthritis has a devastating effect on HRQL(5). arthritis and childhood Psoriasis arthritis. One recent large survey makes this point well. Data from 32,322 adults in 11 states from the 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), a health survey given annually in the United States, indicates that adults with arthritis report significantly greater HRQL impairment compared to adults without arthritis(11). Specifically, those who have arthritis reported fair to poor health approximately three times more often than did those without arthritis (28. arthritis and childhood Rheumatoid arthritis medication. 6% vs. 8. 3%). arthritis and childhood Sacrum pain. They also reported a significantly greater number of days when physical and mental health were not good, and when usual activities were limited. In other words, their arthritis made it difficult for them to live the kind of lives they desired. (top of page) Clinical Implications of HRQL Assessment for the Management of Arthritis Assessment of HRQL provides a way for rheumatologists and arthritis researchers to better understand the effect of this chronic disease on overall functioning and well-being. Such an understanding promises to influence the quality of care provided to arthritis patients. That is, discussing the results of an HRQL assessment with an arthritis patient can stimulate a conversation that focuses explicitly on the impact his/her condition has had on the way he/she lives his/her life. Since the progression of the disease can sometimes be slow and gradual, many patients are not aware of the impact their arthritis has had upon important dimensions of their lives such as social functioning and energy level until specific attention is given to them. Examining the impact of their arthritis on these dimensions will allow clinicians to personalize treatment and better outline the potential benefits that can come from taking concrete steps to adhere to their prescribed treatment regimens. For example, one patient may have given up playing tennis because of knee pain and not noticed, until the results of his HRQL assessment were discussed, that he had also abandoned many activities (e. g. , attending sporting events, mowing his lawn) that he had previously enjoyed. Thus, as a result of the HRQL assessment, it is possible to identify significant areas of patients' lives that have suffered and to help patients focus more acutely on their treatment and self-management efforts so that they can "reclaim" their former lives. This awareness, in conjunction with a clear discussion of what treatment may do to improve their HRQL, is vital in providing the comprehensive care required to adequately address a disorder as complicated and multi-faceted as arthritis. (top of page) Conclusion Arthritis diseases are a major public health problem. Not only are they progressive debilitating diseases with no known cure, but they also have a devastating impact on HRQL. Persons with arthritis tend to report that they are hampered severely in their capacity to perform their day-to-day physical and social activities, and those with more severe disease tend to have the worst HRQL.
Arthritis and childhood
Neck || Knee-joint-effusion || Rheumatoid arthritis medication || Poems about pain