Funky Arthur are really proud to announce the latest addition to our growing range of modern arthritis aids - OXO Good Grips!

If you haven’t heard of OXO Good Grips before then you’re in for a real treat. The company was originally founded by Sam Farber in response to his wife’s difficulty in gripping ordinary kitchen tools and gadgets.  Sam set out to design kitchen tools which were not only ergonomically designed but delivered fantastic performance.  The entire range is not only robust but, more importantly, it’s comfortable!  With soft grip handles and stylish designs, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without them.

Click here to see our full range of OXO Good Grips Arthritis Aids

We’ve got a great deal on our beautiful height adjustable derby canes.  Reduced to just £16.80, and with a choice of 7 different designs, you’re certain to find a stick to match every occassion and outfit.  Hurry though because stocks are limited.

World Arthritis Day unites health professionals, employers and sufferers of rheumatic disease to campaign on a different theme each year.  Previous themes have included ‘Small things Matter’ - focusing on everyday challenges around the home, ‘Take Action!’ encouraging people with arthritis to exercise and raising awareness of its benefits and ‘Living without Pain’ highlighting the importance of the right attitude and approach in making a difference to someone’s quality of life.

World Arthritis Day falls on 12th October 2009 and this year’s theme is ‘Let’s Work Together’ which aims to consider the challenges of work for sufferers of rheumatic diseases.  The campaign is supported and managed by EULAR, the European League Against Rheumatism and you can help by completing their short ‘Let’s Work Together Survey’. 

Enter the ‘Picture This’ Competition
If you have any eye for the camera, you might also be interested in entering the World Arthritis Day “Picture This” competition.  Simply submit your photographs showing a positive image of working with a rheumatic disease, perhaps with a supportive employer, using adapted equipment, or benefiting from a new therapy or treatment. Add a short accompanying sentence which describes in a few words what’s special about the picture, or why work is important to the person featured.

Anyone with a rheumatic disease can enter an image but only entrants from EULAR membership countries are eligible to enter the competition for €500 and an all-expense-paid trip to Tallinn to attend the ‘Let’s Work Together’ exhibition. The competition closes on 11 September 2009, and the winners will be announced on 12 October. See the Picture This website for more information and terms and conditions - good luck!

A report published yesterday by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that previous estimates of the number of Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers in the UK may have been vastly underestimated.  Chris Groom, audit manager for the report said:

“We estimate that 580,000 adults in England have the condition, which is higher than existing estimates of 400,000 for the UK, and that there are 26,000 new cases each year in England, compared to existing estimates of 12,000 for the UK”. 

These figures are truly staggering and even more worrying when you consider that previous estimates took into account the whole of the UK and not just England. 

The report detailed a number of other findings, including:

•  20% of people with RA delayed seeking treatment for more than a year
• 18% of patients visited their GP more than 8 times before they were diagnosed with RA
• 60% of GPs do not use specific guidance or criteria to help them diagnose RA
• 20% of RA patients felt they had received insufficient information about continuing employment after diagnosis
• 3/4 of Primary Care Trusts have not assessed the number of people with RA in their area

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) responded to the report by calling for a campaign to increase public awareness of rheumatoid arthritis.  Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive and Founder of NRAS said:

“A public awareness campaign like those undertaken to tackle other common chronic diseases would make the public, health professionals and commissioners aware of the urgent need for specialist treatment to prevent rapid irreversible joint damage that can lead to permanent disability and often loss of employment”

Revised estimates suggest that RA costs the NHS £560 million a year, with an additional cost to the economy of around £1.8 billion through sick leave and work-related disability.  With costs like this, any campaign which improves access to early diagnosis and treatment is without doubt a necessary and essential investment.

From now until the end of July, Funky Arthur are offering every customer a FREE Dycem Bottle Opener with every order over £35.  You don’t need to do a thing, the free bottle opener will appear in your basket when you checkout - it’s that simple!

The Dycem bottle opener is a handy little gadget, simply place it on top of stubborn bottle tops and twist to open. The non-slip Dycem properties also provide a great grip to ensure a good seal when closing bottles tops.

Hurry though, this offer ends 31st July 2009.

In a recent UK survey carried out by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and supported by the NRAS, 575 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers were questioned about the impact of RA on their lives.  The results put into sharp focus the major impact that a diagnosis of RA can have; more than 94% of respondents claimed that the condition compromised their independence in some way, with more than 60% saying that their independence was compromised significantly.  Nearly half of those questioned claimed that earlier treatment would have made them more independent today.

These results suggest that the message of early and aggressive treatment of RA is still not getting through.  This is a subject dear to my heart, having experienced at close hand the patchy nature of NHS provision for newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that rheumatology clinics may be fast-tracking ”new” patients” in order to meet government targets.  Once seen, these patients become “old patients” and go to the bottom of the clinic list, waiting months for the next appointment when treatment will begin.  This chimes with my own experience; seen in January the consultant asked me to return 4 months later with a view to starting treatment.  This 4 month appointment date turned into an appointment 6 months later and very nearly (had I not complained) into one 12 months after my initial consultation. 

This is clearly madness, early and aggressive treatment should be a right not an aspiration.  It is without doubt the only route for all concerned.  With estimates placing the direct and indirect costs of RA to the nation at around £4.5billion, much of that due to lost productivity,  it’s time for the money men at the government and frontline NHS staff to get together and engage in a little joined-up thinking.

One of the great perks of my job is that I get to try out the arthritis aids that we sell, and whilst my arthritis is still in the early stages, there are a couple of arthritis aids that I simply can’t do without.  The first is my Etac Relieve Angled Carving Knife.  Don’t be put off by the name, I have used this great knife for all sorts of purposes from slicing bread to slicing cucumbers and it really is a godsend.  Unlike standard knives, the handle of this aid is angled which keeps your wrist in a strong, straight position - the so-called “powergrip” which reduces pressure on the wrist.  Similar great kitchen aids include the Standard Relieve Angled Cutting Knives and the Etac Relieve Cheese Slicer.

The second aid that I can’t do without is my purple wrist splint.  If like me you felt a little downhearted when you saw the splint provided by the NHS, then these brightly coloured wrist splints are ideal.  They look more like sports aids than medical devices but provide great support and, like the NHS splints, have an aluminium support which can be removed if desired.  Tension is provided by the D-Ring system and I find them a lot less sweaty than other similar splints - perfect in this hot weather!

Are there any arthritis aids that you can’t do without?  Do please let us know.