GSK launches global joint pain education programme
pharmafile | September 13, 2010 | News story | Medical Communications | chronic pain, disease awareness campaigns, osteoarthritis
GlaxoSmithKline has launched a global education programme to help sufferers from musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis to self-manage pain in their joints.
GSK is partnering with The Bone and Joint Decade (BJD), an international initiative endorsed by the United Nations and World Health Organization.
“Our vision is that the programme will motivate and enable people worldwide with joint pain to take an active role in their own care through the provision of education and information,” said Professor Anthony Woolf, member of the BJD International Steering Committee.
It will include techniques that people can use to manage osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis and affects more than 135 million people worldwide.
Announced during the BJD’s World Conference in Lund, Sweden, last weekend, the programme focuses on six areas: diet, exercise, medications, mental attitude, tools and devices and alternative therapies.
The idea is that there are simple ideas from medical experts that people can immediately incorporate into their lives.
“The incidence of musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis, increases markedly from the age of 40 years,” says Jacqueline Bain, GSK’s global director of medical marketing.
“As the global population ages, the number of people with joint pain is expected to increase significantly,” she adds. “The aim of this programme is to show that there are simple ways to reduce joint pain, improve mobility, slow down the damage to joints, and enhance quality of life.”
Educational materials are currently written in English and will be available at www.liberatefrompain.com from the end of this month.
They will also be disseminated by local GSK operations and the BJD National Action Networks in 65 countries, and are expected to be translated into multiple languages throughout next year.
Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability and time off work for sick leave around the world.
Osteoarthritis is the fourth most frequent cause of health problems in women worldwide and the eighth in men.
Adam Hill
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