Upfront The latest arthritis news and research Improving outcomes for children DID YOU KNOW? Osteoarthritis most often develops in people in their mid-40s or older, but it can also occur at any time as a result of an injury. Around 15,000 children in the UK under the age of 16 have juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The condition can have a huge impact on a childs life but, with effective treatment and the right support, it doesnt have to be this way. Research looking to further our understanding of JIA is vital to improving clinical practice and treatments for people with arthritis, which is why were delighted to announce a new partnership with the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) to fund the UK JIA Biologics Register. The register is the worlds largest group of children and young people involved in research about JIA. It has been created by bringing together two existing studies looking at the safety and effectiveness of biologic and biosimilar treatment for JIA, one funded by Versus Arthritis and the other by the BSR. This exciting new partnership will allow us to continue answering vital questions about the treatment of JIA for children and families across the world. Could talking therapy improve quality of life? People living with fibromyalgia commonly experience chronic widespread pain, meaning pain is felt all over the body. Researchers we fund, led by Professor Gary Macfarlane, have shown that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), also known as talking therapy, is effective in the management of chronic widespread pain. They recently completed another study to see if talking therapy can actually prevent the development of this type of pain. They randomly selected around 1,000 people at risk of developing chronic widespread pain to either receive talking therapy or usual GP management. In both groups, the same number of people developed chronic widespread pain. However, the group receiving talking therapy reported less fatigue, better sleep, and were more likely to report that they considered their health to be improved and their quality of life to be better. These results show that talking therapy may be beneficial to a much wider group of patients with pain.