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Posts Tagged ‘arthritis’

Most people have not heard of the Bone and Joint Decade, but it’s an important and valuable organization sanctioned by the United Nations/World Health Organization that deserves more recognition. As a chiropractor, I have been aware of it for several years now. It is an international collaborative movement whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal conditions and to advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of these conditions. The organization if open to a variety of traditional and alternative methods of prevention and treatment, including chiropractic, and is highly supportive of the role of the patient advocate. In that regard, the United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) begins its exceptional program for its 2009 Global Network Conference to be held in Washington, D.C., starting today through Saturday, October 21-24. The conference will bring together the official Bone and Joint Decade National Action Network (NAN) representatives from 56 countries, members of the administration, government policymakers, health care providers, patients, and patient advocates for a two-day Patient Advocacy Meeting and a two-day Global Network Conference. Featured program participants include Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Congressmen Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.), and Charlie Melancon (D-La.), and Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary for Health of Canada.

The Global Network Conference is an education and strategic planning meeting intended to highlight the significant burden of disease posed by musculoskeletal conditions and why raising awareness and engaging in advocacy are important means of advancing prevention and treatment. On October 22, there will be a focus on raising awareness of musculoskeletal conditions on Capitol Hill for U.S. delegates, patients, and the leadership of USBJD participating organizations.

Among our successes, The United States Bone and Joint Decade includes among its successes the development of programs around osteoporosis and arthritis that have been presented to more than 200 audiences, as well as a grant mentoring program that has seen their graduates receive more than $20 million in research funding.

For more information, visit www.usbjd

Technorati Tags: arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions, osteoporosis, US Bone and Joint Decade