Make a difference with our Winter Appeal
https://arthritistas.org.au/make-a-difference-with-our-winter-appeal/15-year-old Miriam lives with her family in southern TAS. She was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis three years ago after 12 months of tests and specialist appointments. The condition lives in her jaw, wrists, fingers, knees and ankles. Miriam’s high school has taken a troubling amount of time to recognise her condition and make adaptations to support her. She was once forced to run a 200m race because the relief teacher didn’t believe she had arthritis. Writing for too long is...
Tips for the holiday season
The festive season can be a busy time of shopping, cooking, cleaning and gathering with family and friends. With a chronic condition, however, it can also be a difficult time managing your energy levels, eating (and drinking!), organising travel and managing stress. You may feel that you need to keep up and meet your own and your family’s expectations. Here are some tips that can help you manage this festive season while looking after yourself. Maintaining your Energy Levels Maintaining and...
Exercise to Reduce Pain
It’s a well-known saying, ‘use it or lose it’, and never has this been more true than in the case of exercise and the body. One of the most significant factors when it comes to pain free movement for those who suffer from arthritis is the strength, biomechanics and endurance of their movement of day to day life. If you are not practicing, learning and repeating good movements, you’re missing out on the pain relief that beautiful movements offers the arthritic body, and what’s best of all is...
JOB VACANCY: Occupational Therapist
Arthritis TAS is seeking an occupational therapist to deliver NDIS Support Services. Vision: Freedom from Arthritis Mission: To help people living with Arthritis Values: Collaborative, Sustainable,Innovative & Outcomes Focussed Founded in 1967, Arthritis TAS (ATAS) exists to help improve the lives of people suffering from arthritis and related musculoskeletal conditions. The organisation is a trusted source of evidence-based and up-to-date information on arthritis and its...
Fighting Fatigue? Tips to help
What is fatigue? Fatigue is a feeling of both physical and mental tiredness. It is often described as exhaustion or a lack of energy, and can make everyday tasks seem impossible. Many people with arthritis experience fatigue, no matter what they have been doing or how much sleep they get. There are many possible causes of fatigue, including the disease activity, pain (which can also affect sleep), certain medicines, muscle weakness and wasting, anaemia (low red blood cell count), or...
Gardening tips for arthritis
It’s Spring! Time to get out in the garden. There are so many benefits to gardening, it gets you outdoors, moving and is mood boosting. In fact, getting your hands dirty in the garden has been scientifically proven to increase serotonin levels (happy hormones) through contact with specific soil bacteria! 1 Get started by using the tips below. How can you protect your joints? Tools Use long handled tools to eliminate bending Use a knee pad but try to minimise the time you spend kneeling...
Managing Low Back Pain
Low back pain is a significant burden in terms of pain, disability and loss of quality of life for those who experience it. This is a global problem with data in Australia revealing that a quarter of the population may have it at any one time. The fiscal burden is reported to be about $5 billion a year of direct costs.1 We've compiled a list of resources below that will give you lots of information and advice on managing your low back pain. Developed by Arthritis...
Medication Updates
6 August 2020 New Drug Approved for RA Upadacitinib is the third Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor to be approved for rheumatoid arthritis after baricitinib and tofacitinib. Upadacitinib is indicated for patients with moderate–severe rheumatoid arthritis who have not adequately responded, or are intolerant, to at least one or more conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Read more below and please discuss the medication with your rheumatologist. Approved indication:...
Your Weight & Arthritis
Does weight affect arthritis? The simple answer is yes. Extra body weight increases the stress on many joints, particularly the knees, hips and lower back. There is also a clear link between being overweight and an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. If you are overweight, losing weight will decrease the stress on your joints, which in turn, can reduce pain and make it easier for you to move around. If you have a lot to lose, or perhaps only a little, keeping your weight in check has...