The Arthritis Helpbook 6th Edition

Written by: Kate Lorig & James F Fries Reviewed by: Liz Simons Published by: Da Capo Press 2006 ISBN: 0738 210 382 Price: £11.50	Available from the BackCare Shop
The Arthritis Helpbook has been written by two Professors of Medicine from Stanford, California, who have been involved in running self help classes for arthritis sufferers since 1979. The aim of the book is to enable people with arthritis to change their activities and abilities, decrease their pain, and most importantly, develop more confidence in themselves as caretakers for their bodies. The book emphasises three concepts. Each person with arthritis is different, no one treatment is right for everyone. There are a number of things people can do to feel better. These things will not cure arthritis, but they will help to relieve the pain, maintain or increase mobility, and prevent deformity. Most importantly, they will help people do the things they want to do. With knowledge, each individual is the best judge of which self-management techniques are best for him or her.
The book is easy to read and full of practical tips on a wide range of subjects. from buttonhooks to sex and intimacy. It is not meant to replace medical care but be a supplement to that care.