Arthritis diary Get the message IBBC presenter Julian Worricker on the impact of Versus Arthritis’ latest campaign I’m sure we’ve all had time to digest the impact of the Versus Arthritis advertising campaign, whether on TV, posters, or in newspapers and magazines. I’ve heard a lot of very positive feedback, which has been extremely encouraging, especially when it comes from people who are experiencing arthritis for the first time. The message that it’s not just aches and pains – and that arthritis is not something that just affects older people – really seemed to hit home. The challenge now will be to continue that good work. Campaigns like this rely on a memorable image, and I was struck by the impact of that outstretched hand. If you’re ‘versus’ something, you’re opposed to it, you’re seeking to stop it, you’re holding up a hand and saying “no more”. But I think it resonated beyond that, because for anyone who’s experienced arthritis in their hands and wrists – and that was where mine hit hardest – they know that the simple movement of holding up a hand like that can be almost impossible on a bad day. I remember having to wear a splint overnight to help keep the carpal tunnel in my wrists open. I remember the pins and needles that I felt in my hands when even the splints didn’t sufficiently stop the effects of the joint inflammation. I remember the effort involved in not just holding up my hand, but also in stretching the hand open so that my fingers were fully extended. How simple a movement it should have been; how difficult and painful a movement it could be if the joints were misbehaving. Making an impact That’s why the outstretched hand image works so well for me. But there’s another thought that crossed my mind. As depicted, the hand is a defiant gesture, basically saying ‘no more, we’re looking to put a halt to the status quo’. But think what happens when the arm is rotated, and the hand suddenly becomes an open palm. That open palm would be the gesture of friendship. It would be the ‘come and join us’ message, the message that says ‘if we can overturn the status quo, how much better, how much more all-encompassing things can be’. Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself in my hopes for what lies ahead, but we can’t be too far away from the moment when science and campaigning combine to produce the end result we all desire. That’s when the outstretched hand will send out a different, more positive message. Julian Worricker has psoriatic arthritis. He is a TV and radio presenter and journalist, and currently presents the BBC News channel’s rolling news and the BBC World Service’s Weekend World Today