Rheumatoid Arthritis Support: Top Organizations and Resources

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 18 million people worldwide have a chronic inflammatory type of arthritis known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Without proper treatment and care, rheumatoid arthritis can progress and cause serious joint damage and other health problems.

Good news? A variety of resources can help you stay informed about rheumatoid arthritis, offer guidance on what you can do to protect your health, and connect you with other people affected by the disease.

Here are some of our favorite resources to help you navigate life with RA.

American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

Since its foundation in 1934 ACR was a leading non-profit professional association. They support more than 9,600 rheumatology experts (those who deal with RA) to continue to do innovative work and provide quality care.

As part of its initiatives, the ACR offers a number of resources to people living with various forms of arthritis (and their loved ones), including information about RAvarious blog postsand a Directory of Rheumatology Providers.

ACR also launched the first Rheumatic Disease Awareness Monthin September 2016 to spread awareness about diseases like RA.

In addition, the ACR encourages people with arthritis take action by communicating with government officials who are responsible for making policy decisions that may affect the daily lives of people living with these conditions. Share your personal stories on treatment access or cost issues can help ACR work to address policy issues affecting people with RA and other rheumatic diseases.

Stay connected with ACR at:

Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation was founded in 1948 with a mission to help pave the way to a cure for all forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Along with providing access to educational information about RAThe Arthritis Foundation offers a variety of online resources, including:

The organization encourages people with arthritis to participate advocacy initiatives that address state and federal policy challenges for improving access to arthritis care.

They also hold a number of face-to-face and virtual meetings events to raise money to advance arthritis research and unite people with arthritis.

In addition, the Arthritis Foundation conducts Rheumatoid Arthritis Connect Groupinviting people living with the condition to connect with others who share the same experience. This group also provides access to educational programs and expert-led discussions that promote self-advocacy and empower people with RA to thrive while managing the disease.

You can contact the Arthritis Foundation at:

CreakyJoints

CreakyJoints is part of the Global Healthy Living Fund (GHLF), a non-profit advocacy group that has been working since 1999 to help improve the quality of life for people with chronic conditions such as RA. CreakyJoints, a community of thousands of people in the United States living with various forms of arthritis, is one of the largest GHLF networks.

CreakyJoints is involved in research and advocacy to educate the community about chronic disease and improve access to health care.

They also offer educational resources for people with RA, including information about:

Additionally, CreakyJoints provides a series webinars and a podcast network share information with your community. They accept monthly Twitter chats about living with a chronic illness. And they collect and share stories of patients about what life with arthritis is really like.

You can download their free app, PatientSpotto help track your symptoms, monitor your treatment regimen and share data with your doctor to make more informed decisions about your treatment.

Keep in touch with CreakyJoints via:

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Since 1986, NIAMS has worked to understand and address disparities in diseases that affect bones, joints, muscles and skin, including RA. They spend about $600 million each year to support research efforts and communicate results to the public.

In addition to research and professional resources, their website offers educational information for people with RA and their loved ones, including the latest news about the condition. You can subscribe to them newsletter to have updates sent directly to your inbox.

NIAMS is also a great source for learn about current and upcoming clinical trials and hearing from people who participated in previous trials.

For more information, contact NIAMS at:

Rheumatoid arthritis group

Connecting online with others who have RA can be a great way to share experiences, give and receive advice, and feel less alone in managing the disease. The Rheumatoid arthritis group is a Facebook group that was created in 2017 just for this. Today, the group has about 100,000 members. This active group averages around 19 posts per day where you can connect with other people living with RA.