World Arthritis Day 2024: Discover the Types, Theme, and Shocking History of This Global Health Crisis!

Every year, on 12th October, millions of people around the globe celebrate World Arthritis Day- a day dedicated to raising awareness about one of the most widespread but often overlooked health challenges. Arthritis is the number one cause of disability, and chances are you or someone you know is suffering from it. Often associated with ageing, arthritis affects more than 350 million people of all ages, even children, deteriorating their quality of life.  

Now that World Arthritis Day 2024 is around the corner let’s understand this year’s theme and history of this global crisis. In addition, you can learn some self-care tips to manage your arthritis pain.

What is Arthritis: Knowing its Types

Before discovering everything important about World Arthritis Day 2024, let’s first learn what arthritis is its types, and how this medical ailment can affect you. 

Arthritis is a medical condition that causes swelling and tenderness in one or more of your joints. Inflammation affects the tissues around your joints and other connective tissues, causing stiffness, pain, and reduced movement.  

Talking about types of arthritis, there are over 100 different types of joint diseases. Below-given are some of the most common types of arthritis:

World Arthritis Day 2024: Celebrating Joint Health Worldwide

World Arthritis Day is celebrated annually on 12th October, with varied events and activities organized to increase awareness about arthritis and its impact on sufferers. Arthritis affects around 350 million people globally, but many cases often go untreated or unnoticed. The day serves as a reminder that arthritis is a chronic, often invisible condition that can cause discomfort and even make it challenging to do routine activities, no matter their age. 

World Arthritis Day: History of This Global Crisis

The term “arthritis” is derived from the Greek words “arthron,” which means joint and “itis,” which means inflammation. Throughout history, arthritis has been misunderstood as a natural part of ageing, and many believed it couldn’t be treated. However, in the early 20th century, medical science started categorizing arthritis into many forms, leading to more specialized treatments. 

So, when did World Arthritis Day was first observed? The World Arthritis Day was first observed in 1996 under the leadership of the Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI). Since then, it has grown into a global movement, engaging many governments, healthcare organizations and professionals, and advocacy groups working together to promote awareness, provide support, and research into arthritis treatments. 

World Arthritis Day 2024: Theme

Each year, World Arthritis Day revolves around a theme highlighting a specific aspect of arthritis care, types, awareness, research, or treatment. In 2024, the theme of World Arthritis Day is "Informed Choices: Better Outcomes". It highlights the importance of evidence-based information in empowering people to manage their joint health effectively.  

This year's theme focuses on cutting through the noise and instead encouraging people to look for evidence-based resources on arthritis, from its symptoms and causes to diagnosis and treatments, to help them make informed health decisions.  

Managing Arthritis Pain: Self-Care Tips for Healthy Joints

Besides undergoing medical treatment for arthritis, you can do much more to manage your pain and improve your joint health. The following are some self-care tips you can follow to ensure healthy joints: 

1. Exercise Regularly: Are you wondering how you can exercise if your joints are aching? Well, rather than engaging in high-impact exercises, opt for low-impact workouts, like swimming, walking, or cycling, to improve joint flexibility and reduce stiffness. In addition, you can go for meditation or yoga to relax your muscles. 
   
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Too much body weight can put extra pressure on your joints, especially your knees, hips, and spine. You should always check your BMI and try to maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress on your joints. 
   
3. Have a Balanced Diet: Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, berries, nuts, and ginger in your diet. You should also have foods rich in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids to reduce joint inflammation. 
   
4. Stay Hydrated: By properly hydrating your body with plenty of healthy fluids, you can support the lubrication of your joints, which can reduce inflammation. 
   
5. Quit Smoking: Quitting smoking not only does good for your lungs, but it can also help improve your joints and musculoskeletal health. 
   
6. Practice Good Posture: Maintaining correct posture while walking, sitting, standing, or doing any other activity can help prevent strain on your joints and reduce pain. 
   
7. Use Heat and Cold Therapy: If your joints are stiff, consider applying heat packs on them to relieve stiffness. And cold packs are advisable for reducing swelling and inflammation. 
   

Bottom Line

World Arthritis Day is a good initiative dedicated to making people aware of the impact of arthritis on their health and lives, its symptoms, causes, preventive measures, diagnosis, and medical treatments. Aware people have better chances of maintaining optimal joint health. 

Do you experience arthritis symptoms? Get yourself tested by booking the Arthritis Panel-1 test at Pathkind Labs.