May is recognized each year as National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis is a disease that impacts more than 50 million Americans, making it the number one cause of disability in the [United States]. That means 1 in every 5 adults, 300,000 children, and countless families are affected by arthritis. These numbers are only going to keep growing – unless we take a stand.
Arthritis Foundation
“Arthritis” isn’t a single disease – instead it is am umbrella term that is used to refer to more than 100 different diseases and conditions that destroy joints, bones, muscles, cartilage, and other tissue. The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), occurs when there is a breakdown of cartilage in the joints over time. Most other types of arthritis – such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JA), psoratic arthritis (PsA), or ankylosing spondlyitis (AS) – are autoimmune diseases, where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
May is Arthritis Awareness Month – so take a few minutes to educate yourself about a disease that affects nearly 53 million adults and 300,000 kids in the United States. Here is a link to the Arthritis Foundation where you can learn more!
