“It was so much fun to ride on the float and to see all the smiling faces [of the crowd],” she told Wave Newspapers reporter Arnold Adler.  “I had the best seat in the parade. The whole experience was amazing.”

The theme of the float was “Everybody Walks.” It featured a caterpillar with numerous legs walking. To keep with the theme, Kaiser provided the youngsters with safari-type clothing to keep them comfortable during the two and one-half hour procession.

Mikayla has suffered from a form of juvenile arthritis since she was 3. Her arthritis immobilizes her with severe pain throughout her body and stiffens her neck, a representative of the Arthritis Foundation explained to Adler.

Proving that even with disabilities a person can still be active in life, Mikayla was Junior Miss Downey Teen Princess in 2010, and last April took part in the regional Southern California Junior Miss competition in Long Beach when she once again won a place on the court along with teens from throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Mikayla is also student body president this year and a member of the school’s cheer squad.

“I like to cheer,” she said, but admitted to Adler that sometimes her condition makes it more difficult to do the acrobatics associated with cheerleading. Over the years Mikayla has required occasional hospitalization to manage her disease.

Mikayla is a great example of how good disease management can allow arthritis sufferers of any age to continue to live an active, vital, and rewarding life. Simple management measures can go a long way, such as using an ergonomic pen for all writing activities. The UGLee Pen is scientifically designed to be comfortable and relaxing, allowing arthritic fingers a stress-free writing experience.

Mikayla displays her arthritis awareness sign and safari type walking outfit she wore on the Kaiser Permanente float in the 2012 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

To read Arnold Adler’s entire article on the amazing Miss Manning click here.

Photo Credit (Float): facebook.com/kaiserpermanente

Photo Credit (Mikayla): wavenewspapers.com

1. Extend and stretch both wrists and fingers acutely as if they are in a hand-stand position. Hold for a count of 5

2. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers

3. Make a tight fist with both hands.

4. Then bend both wrists down while keeping the fist. Hold for a count of 5

5. Straighten both wrists and relax fingers, for a count of 5

Do 10 repetitions.

As always, check with your physician before attempting any exercise. Cease immediately if you feel pain. And please note that Dr. Seradge does not recommend this exercise for people with severe CTS symptoms.

This is a good exercise to do as a “warm up” prior to working at your desk, the same as joggers do stretching exercises prior to running. Take a quick break every couple of hours throughout your workday to perform this exercise, as well.

This exercise is simple, easy, and extremely beneficial. Another simple, easy, and very beneficial way of alleviating CTS discomfort is using the best ergonomic pen available when writing.  The UGLee Pen allows you to write without putting excess stress or strain on the tendons that go through the carpal tunnel, thus preventing or alleviating repeated stress injuries to the hand and thumb.

Thank you to e-hand.com for these illustrations.

“The Arthritis Show with Dr. Alimorad Farshchian returns to TV.”

The Arthritis Show is the first series to chronicle the real life experiences of patients with arthritis and sports injuries as they make the life-changing decision to improve their health conditions.

Alimorad Farshchian best known as Dr. A.J., is a USA based physician, regenerative medicine practitioner, and television personality. He has hosted the television talk show “The Arthritis show “since the show’s inception last year.

Dr Alimorad Farshchian and The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami Beach, Florida concentrate on helping arthritic and injured people get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic Regenerative medicine. Farshcian combines Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qi Gong to create an exercise of choice for arthritis sufferers.

The inspirational stories begin inside Florida’s Center for Regenerative Medicine where Dr Farshchian brings patients and doctors together eye to eye at a global level using Skype. At every step in this process, viewers at home will witness the struggles of these patients, who reveal themselves to be regular people in need of a helping hand as they strive for improvement, health, and future happiness.

The show airs live at 6:30 pm EST Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,  streaming live on ArthritisUSA.net.

By utilizing technology such as Skype and Youtube, Dr. Farshchian and the show’s producers are making information about arthritis and its treatments, challenges and successes available to a world-wide audience. I’d like to add that along with the non-surgical treatments and exercises utilized by Dr. Farshchian, a great tool for helping arthritis patients “get back to a functional way of life” is my ergonomic pen. The UGLee Pen is an easy means of allowing arthritis sufferers to be able to comfortably write – no stress, no strain to hold the pen – and best of all you’ll find yourself writing in a wonderfully relaxed way with very little discomfort.

“Letter writing,” writes Brodeur, “Is a nice way to slow down, to get away from the keystroke communication we’re used to, the way our thoughts are dispatched almost as quickly as they occur to us.”

“I don’t know anyone,” she says, “who doesn’t love to see their name, written in hand, on the front of an envelope, a bit of humanity among the bills and slick circulars.”

Not only is the handwritten letter a dying art, but, as Brodeur points out, it’s also an endangered species as the U.S. Postal Service closes a number of mail-processing centers and local post offices this year, due to a steady decline in first-class mail. Ten years ago the USPS handled 103 billion pieces of first-class mail, but that number has dropped to 73 billion, and is expected to keep falling.

As Brodeur points out, we’re losing something of ourselves in all that – “the intimacy of a signature, the history that a stack of letters provides.” Especially when you consider the biographies, history books, and movies that have depended on correspondence written by presidents, authors, movie stars and soldiers.

T.K. Watson, owner of two Seattle shops dedicated to “all things paper,” is quoted in Brodeur’s article as saying, “I just think there’s a graciousness and a specialness to it. We’re all so used to email but there is still that tactile quality of the paper and the stamp and the way someone writes, even if it’s just a couple of sentences.”

Brodeur also mentioned William Merrill Decker, author of “Epistolary Practices: Letter Writing in America Before Telecommunications,” who praised the “sensation” of writing, and also the magic of “holding something that has been inscribed.”

“A letter is more than the language someone has written on the page,” says Decker “It’s handwriting and tear smudges, sometimes people doodle. I have letters from my mother – they are among the first things I would grab if my house caught fire.

“A new year has just started,” says Brodeur, “why not put a pen to paper? Not just to help the post office, but to make life a little more personal – no matter the message.”

Handwriting a letter is so easy to do these days, now that the best pen – the scientifically-designed UGLee Pen – is available. This ergonomic pen keeps your hand relaxed, making letter writing a comfortable and, yes, even fun, experience!

You can read Nancy Brodeur’s thought-provoking article in its entirety here.

Video games represent 80% of entertainment in American homes. With this much gaming going on, it’s inevitable that repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), or “overuse” injuries of the hand and upper extremities, have begun showing up in gaming individuals. In fact, names such as Playstation thumb, and Nitendoitis are showing up in the medical community.

The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) has issued a national education alert for parents and is offering injury prevention tips to help the millions of children and young adults playing video games avoid hand and upper extremity problems later in life.

“The repetitive movements associated with playing video games can lead to future ailments – given the excessive hours of play time. Video games are immensely popular and professional hand therapists are working to educate parents and children on how to avoid potential injury risks and keep young hands healthy,” said ASHT Past President William W. Walsh.

According to Walsh, video games involved intense grips, repetitive punching motions on small buttons and sharp wrist movements. Continued stress on tendons, nerves and ligaments in a child’s hand and arm could potentially lead to long-term ailments such as lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, tendonitis, bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The ASHT offers these tips for safer gaming:

1. Use a neutral grip when holding the controller.

2.  Take breaks or switch to another activity.

3. Make sure the monitor is at the correct height.

4. The keyboard should be at a height so that wrist/hands are straight.

5.  When using a hand held device, a pillow should be placed the lap to rest arms on pillows.

6. Whenever possible sit in an appropriate chair with feet flat on the floor and the back supported.

7. When using a single control device (like a mouse), switch hands frequently.

8. Hold the game pad or joystick lightly.

9. Utilize any “programmable” features of the game pad to reduce repetitive action.

10. Frequently focus on a distant object to reduce eye strain.

As with other RSIs and hand conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, etc., it’s best to reduce strain on the hand, thumb and fingers whenever possible. This includes any time you are writing. Using my ergonomic pen is one of the best solutions. The UGLee Pen has been scientifically designed to reduce writing strain, and offers an extremely comfortable writing experience.

Photo Credit: boyvideogames.com

1. UGLee Pen. This ergonomic pen is definitely on the top of my list of suggestions. Scientifically designed so the pen offers the ultimate in comfort, anyone who suffers from arthritis will benefit from the overall shape as well as the detailed contours that are perfectly engineered to follow the anatomy of the hand. You don’t even have to grip this pen – it grips you!

2. Warmth Accessories. Research suggests that heat therapy can be effective in providing temporary relief from arthritis pain.To soothe aching hands, one gift is a warm paraffin wax treatment bath.  You can also consider Thinsulate-lined terrycloth mitts, which offer a more mobile way of soaking painful hands in warm wax. And for the budget-conscious, moist heat pads, which are available at most drugstores, can be wrapped around the neck, back, and knees to relieve discomfort.

3. Swivel Seat. When you have arthritis, standing up after sitting for some time, whether in a car or chair, can be a challenge. Pain in the hips and spine and strain on the neck that comes from transferring in and out of a car or standing up from a seat can be minimized with a car swivel seat cushion that turns 360°.

4. Gardening Tools. For those who love to garden, the right tools can make the difference between making gardening a fun and hassle-free experience and an impossibly painful chore.
Ergonomic gardening trowels, cultivators, and forks are available that ease joint stress by reducing how much you need to bend your wrists are a great way to support a gardening hobby.

5. Video Games.Video games are always must-get gifts for many children, and those with rheumatoid arthritis are no exception. Unfortunately, many of the games involve using potentially finger- and wrist-straining controllers. But, you can opt for one of the Nintendo Wii sports games or Dance Dance Revolution, for just as much video game fun.

Take a look at the entire article with many more gift suggestions. And remember to stock up on UGLee Pens! They come in 7 fun colors, 3 different ink colors, and make great stocking stuffers for everyone on your list!

Run, walk, hop, do cartwheels, even fly with your reindeer – all that matters is that you join in the fun and help raise money for arthritis research, outreach programs, and public health initiatives.

The Arthritis Foundation puts it this way on their web site: Jingle Bell Run/Walk is a fun and festive way to kick off the holidays with family, friends and coworkers. Form a team, raise funds, and organize your very own holiday-themed costumes. Then tie jingle bells to your shoelaces, and complete a 5 kilometer route.

You can sign up to join a Jingle Bell Run/Walk already scheduled by going here to see where one is located near you. You’ll find them listed all across America, and in other countries as well.

Or, you are invited to organize a team yourself. Include your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Forming a team and participating in the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is a great way to give back each holiday season.

From the Arthritis Foundation’s web site: As a team captain, you’ll feel good knowing that your group made a difference in the fight against arthritis. You’ll build camaraderie and increase your visibility in the community, while participating in a healthy activity. But, most of all, running or walking as part of a team is fun!

You can register here for your Team Captain Kit, Team Poster, Donation Form, and all the other Team Tools you’ll need.

A  third way you can help is raise Jingle Bell funds using the web. From the Arthritis Foundation’s web site: We’ve made fundraising easy by offering personalized Web sites where you can set your personal or team goal, email potential donors, and even accept donations online. Once you register online, take a moment to visit your “event headquarters.”

Click here to read more and to download your guide.

While working with the Jingle Bell Run/Walk let your teammates know that one of the best, and easiest, ways for anyone suffering from arthritis to manage handwriting is by using a scientifically-designed ergonomic pen. The UGLee Pen has been designed so that arthritic hands can hold it easily, write without having to grip, and have a relaxing handwriting experience with this comfort pen.

Gouty arthritis is caused by the build- up of uric acid, in the blood. Uric acid is a chemical which is produced when your body breaks down purines, a natural substance that is found in all foods. A few foods have a particularly high concentration of purines, such as organ meats like kidney, some fish like mackerel, herring, and sardines, and purines are also found in yeast. This is why beer can also be a culprit in creating flare ups of gout

While most uric acid dissolves in the blood, and then is eliminated via the kidneys in urine, when a person’s body produces too much uric acid or has difficulty eliminating it, the accumulation of uric acid can lead to the deposit of uric crystals in the fluid around the joints, and this is gouty arthritis.

Risk factors for gouty arthritis include heredity, diabetes, and kidney disease. The condition occurs with higher frequency in men and post-menopausal women, and in those who drink a lot of beer. Even some types of diuretics (water pills) can interfere with the body’s natural attempts to remove uric acid.

Typically gouty arthritis affects joints in the lower extremities such as the big toe, the ankle, and the knee. However, gout in the joints of the fingers and hands is especially painful, especially when the joint is red and swollen. During an acute episode, activities of daily living are greatly interfered with, as the affected joints prevent any kind of normal use of hands and fingers.

Besides medication that your physician may prescribe, you can also be pro-active in helping to prevent, or at least, reduce, acute episodes. Increase your daily fluid intake to 8 to 16 cups (about 2 to 4 liters) of fluid each day, including at least half water, and limiting or avoid alcohol. Eat healthy, low-fat, anti-inflammatory foods, and do what you can to maintaining a healthy weight.

As with all types of arthritis, part of the management regime should include making sure that you do not put added stress and strain on the affected joints. In the case of the fingers and hands, this means you’ll need to be aware putting too much pressure on your finger joints when you are using a writing utensil. Using an ergonomic pen such as my UGLee Pen allows you to relax your hand while writing – this pen actually grips you!

Photo Credit: aafb.org

Parents need to be aware that kids are at risk for repetitive stress injury. Because of their underdeveloped muscles, it is easy for children to accumulate small injuries early that stay with them as they grow older and get more active.

Building manual dexterity and strength can help to eliminate the development of an inappropriate pencil grasp, which can lead to writing pain, not only now, but in years down the road. Many of you parents probably continue the inappropriate pencil grasp that you learned as a child, and to this day you experience pain or cramping when you write.

Here are some simple, and fun, exercises for your children to do to make sure they development muscle strength, manual dexterity, and avoid writing pain as well as repetitive stress injury:

1. Rolling items, such a play dough or newspaper, into various sized balls. They can do this using the palms of the hands facing each other and with their fingertips only.

2. Improve hand strength by crumpling a single sheet of newspaper in one hand.

3. Build dexterity using toy screwdrivers, or by using large toy tweezers to pick things up, like Cheerios, small toys, and place them into a jar.

4. Peeling stickers from the backing sheet and pressing them down to make a picture.

5. Tell stories with finger puppets (especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers).

Once your child is ready to grasp a pen, ensure his or her success by using an ergonomic pen that focuses on a comfortable grip. This can help eliminate frustration and possible writing pain for those who tend to grip too hard.

Working on these exercises with your children will give them a head start toward building the strength and dexterity necessary to hold a writing implement correctly and without frustration. Let them use the ergonomic UGLee Pen, too. It’s designed to help prevent repetitive stress injuries in the hand, as well as support the proper ergonomic pencil grasp.

Clip Art Credit: purba-ray.blogspot.com

This year’s honorees included:

Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service. Pamela R. Massey was honored with the Foundation’s highest nationwide volunteer award. This annual award recognizes a volunteer who has “provided leadership and direction to the Arthritis Foundation, given their time and talent generously to help others, and challenged other foundation volunteers to be their best.” Massey has served the Arthritis Foundation in various capacities for more than 35 years, including sitting on the national board of directors.

Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Arthritis Research. The Howley Prize recognizes researchers whose contributions during the previous five years have represented a significant advancement in the understanding, treatment or prevention of arthritis. Dr. Alisa E. Koch of the University of Michigan and Dr. Andrew D. Luster of Massachusetts General Hospital were name 2011 co-winners for arthritis research.

The Floyd B. Odlum Making a Difference Award. The Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity received this award that recognizes major contributions and achievements that have advanced the mission of the Arthritis Foundation, The award honors an individual, organization, corporation or government agency that has helped to make a difference in the lives of people and families with arthritis.

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation is committed to raising awareness and reducing the unacceptable impact of this serious and painful disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest.

As an Arthritis Foundation spokesperson said, “Twisting off the top of a pill bottle, using scissors, gripping a pen – these are all things that most of us take for granted, unless you have arthritis.” I can help with that third thing – gripping a pen is easy, comfortable, even relaxing, when you use my ergonomic pen. That’s because the scientifically-designed UGLee Pen grips you, instead. If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis, tell them about the UGLee Pen – it’s a big help for all handwriting needs.