Today, there are nearly 50 million US adults who hold the burden of arthritis. Therefore, this means there are 1 in 5 who seek to limit their load of frequent pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. In understanding arthritis, we see that it simply is a word that connects “arthro-” (a prefix meaning joint) and “–itis” (a suffix referring to inflammation). However, this is much more than simply a word to me as both a medical doctor and a person who moves with arthritis on a daily basis.
Half of all Americans with arthritis don’t think anything can be done to help them—this is sadly incorrect as there is much that can be done to assist in reducing the progression and allowing us to reconnect to our daily lives. I am excited to share that in our upcoming Thriving with Arthritis Week at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, we will be exploring the opportunities for arthritis. We will be exploring modern medicine with a team of expert rheumatologists. In addition, we will be highlighting the truly hopeful opportunities from nutrition, herbals, supplements, movement on land and in the water, quality sleep to promote repair and lessen pain, and above all, the ways to connect with joy on a daily basis.
In this upcoming series of blogs, we will talk about the different types of arthritis, the impact of inflammation, and the opportunities with integrative medicine. Moreover, I look forward to sharing my experience both as a patient and as a physician. At one time, I saw my knee injury as a curse for it truly sidelined me and the life that I was living, but over the years, it has become among my greatest teachers and has placed me on journey of much health and wellness. I look forward to sharing our journeys.
Cheers to your health,
Param Dedhia