As promised I’m bringing you more from the half-day Arthritis Foundation conference that I went to last month. One bit of good news, if you have arthritis, is that there are lots of Phase III drug trials going on now. This means that hopefully there will be new arthritis medicines on the market soon.

A registered nurse with a B.S. in nursing spoke about how to advocate for yourself/your health. She said the number one tip for a doctor visit was to bring someone along. 80% of doctors said doing so could be very or somewhat useful, yet fewer than one in four people bring someone. Another suggestion she had for when you’re trying to make a treatment decision is to ask your doctor, “If I were your mother/father/sibling how would you go about deciding?”

The last speaker was a physical therapist and he talked about strengthening your core for better function and reduced pain. He also spoke quite a bit about posture. He said when people use stabilization balls as desk chairs/seats it’s been found that they start slouching again after 30 minutes. He suggests that if you’re wanting to use one, make sure you stand up and stretch every 30 minutes or switch between chairs at that increment.

He shared a few ways that he reminds himself to sit and stand straighter. While driving, when he comes upon a red light he takes the opportunity to check how he is sitting and sit a little straighter. He does this same practice while he is washing his hands, brushing his teeth and looking at someone else sitting in a chair. I loved his quote about making better posture a habit – “Treat it like a vacation home: visit there more often, eventually move there.” Such a great quote for any habits you’re wanting to improve upon!

How’s your posture?

Hopefully it’s more like #1 than #3!*

*Image Credit: from www.flickr.com joelogon

You may also be interested in reading:
Treat to Target Care
Arthritis Foundation Conference