S-Factor
Launched in a series of broadcast interviews by Dr. Hilary Jones on 10th November, this is a public awareness campaign which was originally developed by the Rheumatology Futures Project Group (RFPG) and endorsed and supported by Arthritis Research UK, the Royal College of GPs and The Primary Care Rheumatology Society. (For more information about the Rheumatology Futures Group scroll down!).
Please download the posters (scroll down for pdfs) and ask your GP surgery, your library, local pharmacy or any other public place if they will display them or contact Arthritis Research UK and they will send you some.
Have you got the 'S' factor?
- Stiffness – early morning joint stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes
- Swelling – persistent swelling of one joint or more, especially hand joints
- Squeezing – squeezing the joints is painful in inflammatory arthritis
Have you got the ‘S’ factor?
Spinal pain & stiffness lasting more than 3 months in a young adult could be inflammatory if you tick 4 out of 5 bullets:
- It started before the age of 40
- It started slowly: it did not come on suddenly
- You have noticed improvement with exercise
- There is no improvement with rest
- You experience pain at night (with improvement on getting up)
If you have any of the symptoms highlighted in the posters which might possibly relate to either rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, which are the three most common forms of inflammatory arthritis, then seek help from your GP. Don’t delay!
The Inflammatory Arthritis Patient Information Pathway
To go alongside the launch of the S-Factor campaign, NRAS and Arthritis Research UK have continued the work done by the Rheumatology Futures Group to publish an Inflammatory Arthritis Patient Pathway. Inflammatory Arthritis (IA) is the term used to describe a range of conditions – including the 3 most common forms of inflammatory arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis, which affect the immune system. Described as ‘autoimmune diseases’, they each have their own characteristics and can strike at any age.
However, what these diseases have in common is that the body’s immune system is wrongly triggered to attack your own body, causing pain, stiffness, damage to joint s and, if left untreated, possibly disability. They are systemic diseases which means that they can affect the whole body and even internal organs such as the lungs, heart and eyes, although this is certainly not the case for everyone.
There is no cure of these diseases, but managed well, people diagnosed today can expect to lead relatively normal lives. For more information about these diseases, click on the links below and elsewhere on this website! There are six steps on the pathway, as shown below, which is followed by a list of the organisations that can help with information about any of the steps on the pathway.
- Recognising symptoms before seeking help
- Visiting the GP for the first time
- Seeing the specialist for the first time following referral
- Tests, treatments and information
- On-going care
- Long term disease and complications
Organisations who can help
Arthritis Care
Arthritis Care exists to support people with all forms of arthritis. They are the
Helpline: 0808 800 4050 General enquiries: 020 7380 6500
Email: Info@arthritiscare.org.uk
Website: www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Arthritis Research
Arthritis Research
Phone: 01246 558033
Email: Enquiries@arthritisresearchuk.org
Website: www.arthritisresearchuk.org
BARC promote ‘self care’ and ‘self-management’, supporting people with chronic and painful arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions to cope with their problems through information provided in a variety of forms and aimed at the multi-cultural society that makes up Birmingham.
Phone: Tel: 0121 464 2708
Email: info@bham.ac.uk
Website: www.barc.org.uk
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS)
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society is the only charity which focuses specifically on providing support, help and information for people with rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, their families, friends and carers, and health professionals with an interest in rheumatoid arthritis. NRAS have groups and volunteers across the
Helpline: 0800 298 7650 General enquiries: 0845 458 3969 / 01628 823524
Email: Enquiries@nras.org.uk
Website: www.nras.org.uk
National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS)
NASS is the only registered charity in the
Phone: 020 8948 9117
Email: Admin@nass.co.uk
Website: www.nass.co.uk
The Psoriasis Association
The Psoriasis Association is the leading national membership organisation for people affected by psoriasis - patients, families, carers and health professionals.
Phone: 08456 760 076
Email: Mail@psoriasis-association.org.uk
Website: www.psoriasis-association.org.uk
The Rheumatology Futures Project Group (RFPG)
The RFPG was a coalition of patient and professional organisations representing the entire rheumatology community (primary care, hospital care, consultants, GPs, nurses and allied health professionals, patient organisations) and the pharmaceutical industry.
The RFPG was specifically formed in 2007 to develop and execute a collaborative and clearly‐defined programme of work to identify barriers to providing high‐quality rheumatology services for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) across England, and to explore what high quality care should look like and how it could be delivered and was limited to a three year, time limited project which ended summer 2010.
The 'S' factor - hand poster
Download The 'S' factor - hand poster
The 'S' factor - back poster
Download The 'S' factor - back poster