Paul Forrestal is a volunteer with Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA, and he came to our recent meeting armed with pamphlets, booklets and more, in order to demonstrate how one can live well with arthritis. Alarmingly, one in six Australians has some form of arthritis i.e. about 3.9 million people including many juveniles. Osteoporosis is the most common form and factors such as age, injury and obesity exacerbate the chances of one going down that path. Rheumatoid or Inflammatory arthritis occurs when the immune system starts attacking connective tissues in the body, and Paul described what happens when joints are in this situation – pain, swelling, stiffness and potential joint damage. Gout is another form of painful arthritis caused by the build-up of uric acid crystals in the joints, and it leads to dehydration. This can be countered by consuming large quantities of plain water each day. Paul then went on to explain how arthritis generally can be managed, and steps include pain management, exercise, nutrition, joint protection, complementary medicines, and medical attention – usually involving some drugs. It turned out that Paul is very much a West Australian who grew up in Floreat, and he played a lot of cricket on the field adjacent to where our Club meets each week! Thank you, Paul, for a very comprehensive address.