RA Resources
If you live with RA, you know how important it is to have some place to turn when you need information, answers, or require additional support. Today, people with RA have a wide range of places to turn to for information and support.
Books and videos can be excellent resources for people wanting to learn more about arthritis. There are many of these resources from which to choose. You can obtain books and videos from a bookstore, over the internet, or from your local library. To learn more about useful books and videos, contact your local office of The Arthritis Society at 1-800-321-1433.
Here are some resources you may find helpful:
Books
Arthritis: A Take Care of Yourself Health Guide
James F. Fries, M.D., 5th ed.
Perseus Books, 1999
This guide has a section that offers practical solutions to 33 common problems shared by people with arthritis.
Getting Up Is Hard To Do: Life With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Wanda James
Little Bear Publishing Company, Ontario, 2000
This book describes the journey of one woman who is diagnosed with RA. She talks about the emotional, physical and financial impact of RA, comparing herself to the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. The conclusion of the book provides survival tips, a glossary and helpful websites.
Rheumatoid Arthritis : Everything You Need to Know
Robert G. Lahita, MD, PhD
Avery Books, New York NY, 2001
If you have been recently diagnosed with RA, this book is for you. The information in this book is in an easy-to-read question and answer format. Topics include describing the disease, understanding the immune system and inflammation, the musculoskeletal system, the effects of the disease, JRA, diagnosis, traditional therapy and alternative therapies.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan to Win
Cheryl Koehn, Taysha Palmer and John Esdaile, MD
Oxford University Press, 2002
Cheryl Koehn, an arthritis advocate since 1997, has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people with arthritis. Cheryl's will to live the best life possible with RA has been shared in the pages of this book.
The Arthritis Sourcebook
Earl J. Brewer, Jr., M.D. and Kathy Cochran Angel
3rd ed. NTC/Contemporary Publishing Co, 2000
This book offers a unique section on building a treatment team that includes you, your doctor, your nurse, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a social worker, a nutritionist and a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Additional resources are available at the Arthritis Society website at: www.arthritis.ca.
Videos
Arthritis: Best Use of the Hands - Rheumatoid Arthritis
Helen Marx and Robert Lumsden
Blue Sky Productions, Arizona, 1988
20 minutes
This video describes the anatomy of the hand, physiological changes of the hand of a person who has RA, different ways of protecting the joints, home exercise programs and job-easing tools and appliances. It presents tips on how to avoid putting too much stress on RA joints and how to help prevent further injury to joints.
Successful Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Attitudes
Smith & Nephew Richards, 1993
12 minutes
This video reveals people's attitudes toward and knowledge about RA through interviews with employers, relatives and co‑workers.
Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Arthritis Society
James Brodie Productions, Vancouver, BC, 1993
20 minutes
This video includes personal accounts from people with arthritis. It illustrates the anatomy of the joints affected with RA and discusses RA symptoms and who gets RA. It describes interventions such as medications, surgery, unproven remedies, and gives details on the treatment team approach to managing RA. People with RA explain how to cope with pain, tiredness and feelings of anger and depression.
Websites
The Arthritis Society
http://www.arthritis.ca
The Arthritis Society's website offers information, support, tips on living with RA, reviews of helpful products, and news about research. Through their local chapters, you can connect with others who live with RA and keep up on local events and programs near you.
Canadian Health Network
http://www.canadian-health-network.ca
Canadian Health Network (CHN) is a national, non-profit, bilingual web-based health information service. CHN can help you find the information you're looking for on how to stay healthy and prevent disease. CHN works together with Health Canada and national and provincial/territorial non-profit organizations, as well as universities, hospitals, libraries and community organizations to bring health information to you.
HealthTalk Interactive
http://www.healthtalk.com
This site offers the Rheumatoid Arthritis Information Network (RAIN), a useful source of information and support. It features articles about new RA treatments and perspectives, patient profiles, questions to ask your doctor, a guide to other RA resources, an RA glossary, and much more.
InteliHealth
http://www.intelihealth.com
InteliHealth is a comprehensive source of information on healthcare issues, medications, healthy living, and a vast array of medical conditions. A search of "rheumatoid arthritis" produced a 1,600-word article from the Harvard Medical School, and literally hundreds of other RA-specific articles.
Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com
If you are looking for a detailed overview of RA and related conditions, you can find it on this general health information website.
Patient Support Groups
The Arthritis Society
http://www.arthritis.ca
The Arthritis Society's website offers information, support, tips on living with RA, reviews of helpful products, and news about research. Through their local chapters, you can connect with others who live with RA and keep up on local events and programs near you.
Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA)
http://www.arthritis.ca/capa
A national organization that helps connect people living with arthritis and assists them in becoming more effective advocates. CAPA receives support from The Arthritis Society and has no membership fee.
The resources cited above are for readers' information only. They are not endorsed by the manufacturer and marketer of ENBREL.
