Nancy Rosen presented the program "Alternatives to Prescription Drugs for Arthritis Relief" to the Heart-N-Hands Extension Homemakers Club at its recent meeting at Pursuit Church in White Hall.
Rosen said arthritis is a general term for conditions that affect the joints, tissues around the joints and other connective tissues. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. There is no cure for the disease, but it can be managed using medication, surgery and non-drug treatments such as physical therapy or patient education. The management of arthritis is important for reducing pain, preventing or delaying disability and improving overall quality of life, according to the presentation.
Rosen discussed alternative treatments for arthritis other than prescription drugs:
• The arthritis self-management program is a small-group educational program that lasts for six weeks and is offered by the Area Agency on Aging. A two-hour interactive workshop will be presented each week. The program also teaches participants how to better communicate with health professionals.
• Maintaining a healthy weight reduces pressure on your joints, eases pain, reduces inflammation, reduces arthritis-related diseases and slows degeneration of cartilage.
• Choose a healthy diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in fats and processed foods. A healthy diet lowers blood pressure, helps curb inflammation, benefits the joints and the heart and may lead to weight loss, which can improve joint pain. The Mediterranean Diet or the DASH Diet are good examples of this.
• Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to keep your joints healthy. People with arthritis benefit from a balanced exercise program that includes range of motion or flexibility exercises, aerobic endurance exercises and strengthening exercises.
• Physical therapy focuses on improving mobility and restoring use of affected joints, increasing muscle strength and maintaining flexibility and range of motion.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy is rooted in the idea that the way you perceive situations influences the way that you feel and that you have the ability to change your thought patterns. Coping skills such as guided imagery, changing your thoughts and relaxation provide beneficial approaches to reducing pain and psychological distress from arthritis.
Also during the Heart-N-Hands meeting, Mary Ann Kizer, family and consumer sciences agent for Jefferson County, presented Walk Across Arkansas certificates to the Hearty Walkers team for fall 2022. Members of the team were Nancy Rosen, Missy Rosen, Margaret Thomas, Audrey Armstrong, Patsy Brown, Brenda Hendrix, Linda Works, Rosa Wilburn, Connie Herrin and Debbie James. Kizer was a special guest at the meeting.
Delores Kelley, club president, announced that Heart-N-Hands EHC donated 162 caps and 76 teaching dolls at the Festival of Stars. The club also donated 16 blankets to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Kelley asked the club to bring pre-wrapped snacks to the Feb. 9 meeting to be used in snack boxes for the county judge and mayor's offices and first responders. The snack boxes will be assembled after the Jefferson County Extension Homemakers Council board meeting as a community service project for JCEHC.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its extension and research programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.