The first general states of osteoarthritis began on Thursday, October 9. The French Association for the Fight against Rheumatism wants to improve information on a disease that affects 10 million people.
Severe pain in the joints when you lift your arm to grab an object or bend your knee to climb stairs. Such is the ordeal of people suffering from osteoarthritis, the leading cause of disability in France which affects 10 million inhabitants of France. But which remains despite everything too little known and underestimated.
This is the reason why the Association Française de Lutte Antirhumatismale (AFLAR) has created general states which began on Thursday, October 10 in ten French cities. An initiative intended to make the general public aware of this pathology and to hunt down preconceived ideas.
15 patients, 17 proposals
“There is a glaring lack of information relating to osteoarthritis in France”, underlines Dr Laurent Grange, president of AFLAR. In June 2014, a citizen panel brought together 15 people with osteoarthritis. For three and a half days, the participants reflected on and debated the issue of health in France. These discussions led to the production of 17 proposals intended to improve the recognition of the disease as well as its management, and the quality of life of sick people. “These proposals will not all be accepted, but they will serve as a basis for our work during the States General”, explains Dr Grange. These proposals include the desire to have the disability represented by osteoarthritis recognized in the workplace.
500,000 work stoppages per year
Osteoarthritis considerably affects the quality of life and can sometimes be a real source of disability, especially at work. In fact, more than 500,000 work stoppages per year are linked to osteoarthritis. It is also the second cause of consultation with the general practitioner, after cardiovascular disorders. To do this, AFLAR would like to organize prevention campaigns within companies. “This is only an idea for the moment, but we would like to create a partnership with a rheumatologist and an occupational doctor. The objective would be to show how to improve the situation of the patient suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatism in his workplace. “
Listen to Dr Grange, President of the French Anti-Rheumatologist Association: ” Certain professions favor the appearance of certain types of osteoarthritis… ”
Stop preconceived ideas
In recent years, AFLAR has been hunting down preconceived ideas on his website by recalling first of all that “osteoarthritis does not result from a simple wear and tear of the joints which would have been too stressed but that its occurrence is much more complex. Osteoarthritis is also not a disease of old age. Although undoubtedly linked to age, it is above all conditioned by lifestyle. Being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle are the main triggers for osteoarthritis. AFLAR also emphasizes prevention methods, in particular those of losing weight or maintaining a normal weight. It is also essential to watch the parts of the body located near the joints if they have suffered trauma.
The conclusions of the States General will be published by AFLAR in a report in October 2015.
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