Bone and Joint Health Series June 21

Explore Latest FACTS (and Fiction)

in Non-Operative and Operative Treatments of Hip, Knee and Back Arthritis

By Paula Deasy

ARTHRITIS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY IN THE U.S; 42.7 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE ARTHRITIS AND MORE THAN A THIRD REPORT THAT ARTHRITIS PAIN LIMITS THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES.  For many, anxiety or fear of the unknown prevents them from seeking help that could improve their quality of life. 

On Saturday, June 21, Dr. Anthony M. DiGioia, III, a leader in Patient and Family Centered Care and one of the pioneers of less invasive and computer assisted orthopaedic surgery, will chair an event for patients in the Bone and Joint Health Series entitled Let Your Journey to Wellness Begin!  Boomeritis: Help for those Aching Hips, Knees and Back. The Bone and Joint Health Series presents four events each year.  The upcoming program on June 21 will be held at the CCAC Boyce Campus and is open to the public and free of charge! 

"In this age of having massive amounts of information available at one's fingertips, patients and families can have a hard time sorting through it all," said Dr. DiGioia, a practicing orthopaedic surgeon at Renaissance Orthopaedics and founder of The Orthopaedic Program at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

"The program on June 21st is designed for patients and their families who have an interest in learning more about those aching hips, knees and back," DiGioia explained. "The goal is help people sort out fact from fiction and let them hear directly from the experts about the non-operative as well as the operative treatments. Our hope is that these events will improve communication and knowledge and reduce anxiety so that patients can make informed choices regarding treatment and maintenance of health."

A keynote presentation entitled "Patient and Family Centered Care: Reducing Anxiety and Providing Exceptional Care Experiences and Outcomes" will be given by Dr. DiGioia. He will be joined by orthopaedic and spine surgeons, a rheumatologist and a physical therapist to discuss the evaluation, diagnosis, treatments and exercise possibilities for those suffering from hip, knee and back pain. In addition there will be an "Ask the Doctor" panel discussion as part of the program.

Another resource for those seeking help for aching bones and joints is the blog at

www.amd3.org/ROblog. "The site was created on the advice of our Patient and Family Advisory Council and in response to all of the information about bone and joint health, " DiGioia continued. "We have a 'Fact & Fiction' column that can help patients obtain current and accurate information, and the blog site enables people to learn from patients' stories and to ask questions of patients and families living through similar experiences."

For more information or to register for the June 21st event, visit www. boneandjointhealth. org.

For questions, call 412-683-3260 or send an email to info@ boneandjointhealth. org.