We’ve had some great weather recently which has led many of my friends and colleagues to comment on how much better my arthritis must be.  To be honest unless the weather is particularly damp I don’t notice much of a difference, although the good weather does put me in much better spirits!  Still, many people believe that there is a link between arthritis symptoms and the weather with some 50-90% of people with OA or RA saying that they are sensitive to the increased levels of humidity and low pressure which often precede rain (Met Office website). 

Research into the influence of weather on arthritis has been patchy though. A study in carried out in the 1960s  confined patients to a climate controlled building with no acess to information about the outside weather. The researchers found that patients were able to detect rises in humidity and falls in barometric pressure simply by increased levels of joint pain.  Whilst this study has been criticised due to its small sample size (just 12 participants) an interesting finding was made; the study showed that neither high levels of humidity nor low barometric pressure had an effect on their own - both weather conditions had to be in place for patients to notice increased joint pain. 

Other studies have not been so supportive of the link.  In a much larger study by Sibley, patients were asked to keep a record of their joint symptoms.  These diaries were then correlated with records of local weather conditions.  Sibley found no link between weather conditions and arthritis. 

So what’s to be made of these findings? Some researchers suggest that the effect of poor weather on mood is the real culprit behind perceived increases in joint pain.  Bad weather = bad mood = bad joints!  Others argue that poor weather stops us exercising, again leading to more pain and stiffness.

What do you think?

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The all-terrain Trionic Rollator is a product that Funky Arthur is really proud to stock.  Not only does it look great, but it performs brilliantly, meaning that you can stop worrying and start enjoying the glorious outdoors.

Traditionally, rollators and walkers have sufferered from instability, getting up curbs was a real problem, especially for those with reduced grip strength.  The Trionic Walker solves this problem magnificently with it’s patented curb climbing system (13cm climbing capacity), air filled tyres and adjustable suspension system. 

The Trionic looks fantastic with a modern 3 wheel design which mimics that of modern baby buggies.  Transporting and storing the Trionic is a breeze too, the rollator comes with detachable wheels and is easily folded down.

For a limited time only, we have reduced the price of the Trionic from £799.99 to just £659.  If you would like to know more or are interested in a free home trial, simply contact us or call on 0121 270 6634 for more details.

News came yesterday of a drug trial which coud radically change the way newly-diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients are treated.  Current NICE guidelines for the treatment of early RA recommend agressive treatment with a combination of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).  Anti-TNF biologics can be offerered if DMARD treatment fails, with rituximab as back up should the Anti-TNFs be ineffective.

However, a recent trial led by Professor Paul-Peter Tak from the University of Amsterdam is set to turn this “gold standard” of treatment on its head.  The study took 755 patients who had been recently diagnosed with RA and had sufferered for less than a year.  These patients were treated with a combination of methotrexate (a DMARD) and rituximab - a drug that was originally developed to treat leukaemia.  The results were startling, of the patients receiving this therapy 30.5% experienced a significant reduction in symptoms compared with just 12.5% of patients who were taking just methotrexate.  What’s more, this treatment was significantly less expensive than Anti-TNF drug treatment.

The results of this study have the potential to change people’s lives. Let’s hope that NICE sits up and pays attention soon.

If a picture tells a thousand words then we’re hoping that our brand new video product reviews will tell far more.   Starting this month, Funky Arthur will be producing a series of videos designed to demonstrate how arthritis aids work. We’ve uploaded our first one today for the Dycem Jar Opener - hopefully you’ll  find it informative yet informal. 

We’d love your feedback - which arthritis aids would you like to see reviewed?

When you are first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis the last thing you worry about is how much it’s going to cost.  But cost it does.  Days off work, assistive devices and prescription charges all quickly mount up until you begin to wonder just how you can afford  to have RA.

At the moment certain conditions are eligible for free prescriptions.  These conditions include epilepsy, diabetes, hypoparathyroidism and cancer.  Pregnant women are exempt from paying for their prescriptions throughout pregnancy and for a year after birth.  So why not Rheumatoid Arthritis?

RA is a chronic and often progressive disease.  Sufferers have to take a cocktail of drugs - some to deal with the condition itself and others to counter the side-effects of these drugs; depression can come hand-in-hand with RA - adding yet more medication to the monthly bill. 

Yet given a choice between putting food on the table and paying for medication, which would you choose?  There is evidence that some people are having to make exactly these choices, putting themselves at grave risk of serious joint damage and storing up a whole heap of expense for the NHS.  That’s why it is essential that prescription charges are abolished for sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, it’s not only good for us, but it’s good for the NHS too.

The government is currently reviewing prescription charges and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is campaigning for free prescriptions for all RA sufferers.  Funky Arthur supports this campaign.  What can you do?

1. Email your MP and ask for their support - go to www.parliament.co.uk, click on ‘MPs and Lords’ then click on ‘members of parliament by constituency’ to find your MPs details
2. Visit www.prescriptionpromise.org who are campaigning for free prescriptions for all who suffer with a long-term condition and sign their petition.
3. Join the Facebook causes group by following this link http://apps.facebook.com/causes/269885/11236118?m=fe50b0e9
4. If you have had problems paying for your prescriptions, then the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society are looking for case studies.  Follow this link http://www.rheumatoid.org.uk/article.php?article_id=636.