With a central message “The pain in the joint… it’s not tongue-tied” and through a parallelism of joint difficulty (tongue-tie) with joint difficulty (pain), the Hellenic Society of Rheumatology and Professional Association of Rheumatologists of Greece (E.P.E. – E.P.E.P.E.) implements for one more year, an information campaign on rheumatic diseases, on the occasion of World Arthritis Day (October 12). The aim of the scientific company is to inform and raise awareness among the general public regarding the prevention, early diagnosis, effective and long-term treatment of rheumatic diseases, with the guidance of the appropriate doctor – the rheumatologist.

The Hellenic Society of Rheumatology and Professional Association of Rheumatologists urges the public not to ignore the symptoms, informs that rheumatic diseases are effectively treated and clearly refers the patient to contact the rheumatologist who is the specialist doctor for pain in the “joints, without getting “confused » with other specialties.

The ultimate goal is to improve patients’ overall health and quality of life. In Greece, 26% of the population suffers from some rheumatic-musculoskeletal condition, and overall in Europe, the data shows that 120 million people suffer from rheumatic diseases, while many remain undiagnosed.

The Hellenic Society of Rheumatology and Professional Association of Rheumatologists of Greece points out that 1 in 4 people who suffer from a rheumatic condition do not know it and considers it necessary to properly inform patients so that they do not ignore the symptoms and visit the rheumatologist early who will indicate the appropriate treatment for them treatment and management of their condition.

“Rheumatic Diseases do not discriminate, they affect all ages and both genders and the permanent damage to joints and other organs occurs in the first 1-2 years from the onset of symptoms. That’s why early diagnosis is so important”, explains the President of ERE – EPERE Dr. Dimitris Karokis.

“Science now provides us with more and better treatment options to immediately combat inflammation, fully restore daily functionality and avoid permanent damage. The rheumatologist is the right doctor for the correct diagnosis and the initiation of selected treatment for each patient with a rheumatic disease. Therefore, direct and honest communication between patient and doctor is of paramount importance. The properly informed and empowered patient can better understand his disease and participate in the personalized – for his case – therapeutic decision”, concludes Mr. Karokis.

The campaign’s messaging also supports this year’s World Arthritis Day theme which focuses on access to information – particularly important in today’s fast-paced digital world – but which can make it difficult to find accurate and reliable guidance through the sheer volume of available data, combined with an increasing amount of incorrect or misleading information.