Airing Pain 27: Arthritis: Challenging perceptions

Setting the record straight on arthritis, and practical tips on living with the condition.

This programme was funded by Pain Concern’s supporters and friends.

In this programme we tackle the issue, raised by Judy on our forum, of how people with arthritis – which often has no obvious physical symptoms – can get help in explaining their condition to those around them. Professor David Walsh explains about the different kinds of arthritis. Jo Cumming, Kate Llewelyn and Minal Smith of Arthritis Care talk about their own experiences of the challenges of living with pain and how the information the charity provides can help people like them.

Although arthritis is commonly thought to be a condition which only affects the elderly it can affect people of all ages – even babies. Kate Llewelyn, who developed arthritis at a young age, tells us about Arthritis Care’s booklet for parents, which provides strategies on how to adapt family life when a child is diagnosed with a form of the disease.

Issues covered in this programme include: Arthritis, misconceptions, explaining pain, flare-up, joint pain, inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, exercise, relationships, hate crime, lack of understanding, pain beliefs, invisible disability, school, children and young people, depression and elderly people.

Contributors:

• Professor David Walsh, Associate Professor in Rheumatology, University of Nottingham and Director, Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre
• Jo Cumming, Kate Llewelyn and Minal Smith, Arthritis Care.