The 12th of October has been declared as the World Arthritis Day in order to raise awareness of this condition that affects millions around the globe.

There are more than 150 rheumatic or musculoskeletal diseases and syndromes. They affect large joints, such as hips, shoulders, and knees, muscles and tendons. Therefore, they can impact a person’s life, physical activity, and even its job status and for that reason, they have a great economic impact on societies. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that tends to strike between the ages of 20-40. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, affects more than 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women aged over the age of 60, according to WHO.

This year’s campaign is supported by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), that represents the people suffering from arthritis as long as health professionals from all the European nations.



As stated by the League itself, the aims of EULAR

“are to reduce the burden of rheumatic diseases on the individual and society and to improve the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal diseases.”

The theme of the World Arthritis Day 2016 is “The Future in your Hands”.

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