A study finds about one in every three Iowans suffer from some form of arthritis. That’s 719,000 people. A new website targets those with R.A. or rheumatoid arthritis, which can hurt a person’s job performance due to pain, stiffness and fatigue.
Dr. Joan Rogers, with the American Occupational Therapy Association, says R.A. sufferers can make their workplaces more manageable. “Make sure the tools you use most frequently are placed within easy reach and view so that you’re not having to get into awkward postures and do a lot of extraneous movement,” Rogers says. “Similarly, if your work involves computer use, make sure that your gaze of the monitor is downward not upward which puts stress on your neck and shoulders.”
Nationwide, some two-million people have R.A. and Dr. Bernard Rubin, a rheumatologist, says some of them want to stay home from work for fear they won’t be able to perform. “Because it affects the immune system and attacks the joints it can lead to deterioration and can affect people so that they may not be able to work effectively in the workplace,” he says.
For more information, call the Iowa Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation in Des Moines toll-free at 866 378-0636 or surf to either of two websites, “www.arthritis.org” or for R-A specifically, visit “www.raonthejob.com”.
Related web sites:
Arthritis Foundation
R.A. On the Job