Arthritis in Parliament

On Tuesday 5 July, Arthritis Research UK held a parliamentary reception sponsored by Fiona Bruce MP. The event attracted more than 60 MPs, who came to find out more about how arthritis can impact their constituents.MPs spoke to people living with arthritis, tried our interactive station which simulated the mobility restrictions arthritis can cause and learnt how many people in their local area may have the condition.Campaigners share their experiencesCampaigners Christine Walker and Cat Priddey both attended the reception to speak to MPs about the realities of living with arthritis. Cat was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her spine eight years ago. She told us: "I’ve learned to self-manage my condition with exercise, which has enabled me to get back to leading a full life. I not only learned a lot at the reception but also had the chance to talk to a number of MPs about my journey and the importance of those with arthritis being able to get the right treatment or guidance at the right time."I explained that, in my case, being guided to the right kind of exercise early on– and sticking with it– has greatly reduced the possibility that I will need surgical intervention later on. I was also able to tell them, from first-hand experience, how living with a long-term condition can impact mental health and lead to social withdrawal and isolation."The MPs I spoke to were genuinely interested and wanted to learn. They were shocked at the numbers of people ...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news