Mayo Clinic Experts Available for Arthritis Action Month

Monday, April 30, 2012

ROCHESTER, Minn. — May is Arthritis Action Month, held to draw attention to the more than 100 forms of arthritis that afflict at least 50 million people in the United States and collectively cost more to treat than cancer. Mayo Clinic invites the public to ask questions during hour-long online chats with Mayo physicians about four of the most common conditions — rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia:

VIDEO ALERT: Video of Eric Matteson, M.D., Mayo Clinic rheumatology chair, discussing the impact of arthritis is available for journalists on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Tuesday, May 1, 11 a.m. CDT: Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hosted by the American College of Rheumatology at http://www.facebook.com/Rheumatology with Mayo Clinic rheumatologist John Davis, M.D.

Tuesday, May 15, 11:30 a.m. CDT: Gout. Hosted by Mayo Clinic at http://www.facebook.com/MayoClinic with Mayo rheumatologist Tim Bongartz, M.D.

Wednesday, May 16, 12 p.m. CDT: Osteoarthritis. Hosted by The Arthritis Foundation at http://www.facebook.com/Arthritis.org with Arthritis Foundation Chief Public Health Officer Patience White, M.D., and Mayo Clinic's Dr. Bongartz.

Thursday, May 31, 1 p.m. CDT: Fibromyalgia. Hosted by Mayo Clinic at http://www.facebook.com/MayoClinic with Ann Vincent, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic's Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Clinic.

Other events: Please tweet with us throughout Arthritis Action Month using the hashtag #arthritisaction. Join Medical Edge Radio on May 12 at 9 a.m. CDT, when Dr. Davis will take listener questions about arthritis.

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