Arthritis: a Self-Help Guide to Getting on with Your Life

Become an expert patient and learn how to best manage your arthrtis

Arthritis is one of the most common causes of disability, affecting areas in and around the joints and bringing misery to a staggering 10 million people in the UK and 46 million in the USA. Arthritis occurs not just amongst older age groups but across all age ranges, and impacts hugely on the lives of sufferers and their families.

Dr Chris Jenner's easy-to-read and highly informative book shows that much of the suffering experienced as a result of this painful condition is unnecessary. Starting with a no-nonsense look at the condition itself, Dr Jenner focuses on the many ways in which arthritis can affect daily life and leads the reader through the variety of options available to sufferers. He shows how the effects of this potentially debilitating disease can be minimised so that quality of life is restored.

Contents: Preface; Part I Understanding Arthritis; 1. What is Arthritis?; 2. Arthritis - The Statistics; 3. Types of Arthritis; 4. Related and Secondary Medical Conditions; 5. What Causes Arthritis?; 6. Diagnosing Arthritis; 7. Aggravating Factors; 8. Top Arthritis Myths; Part II Living with Arthritis; 9. The Physical, Emotional and Psychological Impacts of Arthritis; 10. Acceptance Issues; 11. How Relationships Are Affected; 12. Work Issues; 13. Mobility and Disability Issues Benefits and Allowances; 14. Image Issues; 15. Parenting a Child with Arthritis; 16. Support for Arthritis Sufferers; Part III Treating and Managing Arthritis; 17. Pain Management; 18. Medications and Contraindications; 19. Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments 20. The Role of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; 21. Diet and Lifestyle; 22. Caring for Your Joints; 23. How to Control Stress; Part IV Understanding Medico-Legal Implications; 24. Personal Injury Claims and Arthritis; 25. Medico-Legal Experts and Personal Injury Solicitors; Conclusion; Index.

Dr Chris Jenner has studied for many years in the field of pain medicine and works with arthritis sufferers and other chronic pain conditions in his role as consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia at St Mary's Hospital, London, and as Director of the London Pain Clinic.