Walking for arthritis at Phoenix Park

Castletown Geoghegan man Niall Clarke will be stepping out in Phoenix Park this May with thousands of others from across Ireland who suffer from arthritis.In Westmeath alone there are 13,000 people who have been diagnosed and are living with arthritis.Niall was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis four years ago at the age of 60 but luckily an early diagnosis and the best treatment available has left him relatively pain free.Niall was diagnosed with the condition after suffering from stiffness in his hands and tiredness that he just couldn"t shake.'I would be in the van at work and I would just drop off,' said Niall who is a builder by trade. 'It wasn"t a normal sort of tiredness, I just couldn"t seem to shake it.'I went to see Dr Kelly who thankfully sent me for tests straight away and when I was diagnosed he gave me injections of steroids into my hands which straightened them out almost immediately.'At the moment I am actually on a cancer drug for my arthritis which might seem strange but arthritis is actually an attack on the auto immune system and the cancer drug helps to counteract that.'My wife was actually attending the oncology unit at St James Hospital in Dublin and it was her doctor that suggested the treatment. What it means is that I take very little in the way of pain killing medication and I am able to manage the condition.'There is help out there if you want it and there are ways to manage the condition without taking lots of medication. In fact exercise is great for arthritis which is the point of the walk in Phoenix Park on May 2.'My wife and my two friends have agreed to come along with me and Arthritis Ireland are expecting a great turn out for the event,' he said. The event at Phoenix Park is entitled "Get Your Joints in Motion and will be headed up by Olympic medallist and head of the Irish Sports Council John Treacy.Funds raised by the Get Your Joints in Motion walking challenge will help Arthritis Ireland to dramatically increase the range and frequency of the services they offer, helping people manage the effects of their arthritis by providing the practical and emotional support needed to help people take back control of their disease and their life.For example €250 will pay for a trained helpline volunteer to provide vital support to 20 people affected by Arthritis and €500 will dramatically improve the quality of life of a person with arthritis by enabling them to attend one of our life changing self management programmes.Getting Your Joints in Motion couldn"t be easier - just contact Arthritis Ireland on 01 6618188 or email fundraising@arthritisireland or visit www.arthritisireland.ie for more information and to talk to one of the support team.