World Arthritis Day on 12 October celebrates the goals and aspirations of people living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases through its Achieve Your Dreams theme. Physiotherapists are well placed to help turn those aspirations into reality through goal setting, exercise and support for self-management.
World Arthritis Day takes place on 12 October, and this year’s theme, supported by EULAR, is Achieve Your Dreams. Continuing from 2025, the campaign shines a light on the hopes and ambitions of people affected by rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), and the support that can help make them possible.
Different countries. Different lives. Different dreams. One shared hope: to achieve them.
RMDs are a huge global challenge. They include more than 200 conditions, from osteoarthritis and back pain to inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, lupus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and gout. In Europe alone they affect more than 120 million people of all ages, and they are the leading cause of physical disability, accounting for over half of all years lived with disability. They are also linked with serious comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.
Many of the challenges of living with an RMD are invisible to others. Pain, fatigue and uncertainty about the future can affect work, family life and financial security. Yet people continue to set goals and look ahead, whether that’s returning to work, travelling, playing with their grandchildren, completing a race or simply getting through the day with more energy. That’s where the inspiration in this year’s theme lies – it asks us to see people not only through the lens of their diagnosis, but through what they hope to achieve.
Physiotherapists see this every day. When someone tells you they want to walk their daughter down the aisle, get back on their bike or keep working in a job they love, that dream becomes the starting point for rehabilitation. Good physiotherapy turns those aspirations into meaningful, achievable goals and builds a plan around them.
Exercise and physical activity sit at the heart of this. EULAR’s recommendations for physical activity in people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis make clear that physical activity should be an integral part of standard care. Physiotherapists are experts in helping people exercise safely and with confidence, adapting programmes to fluctuating symptoms and supporting people to stay active for the long term. But the role of physiotherapists goes well beyond exercise – they help people understand their condition, manage pain and fatigue, pace their activities and build the self-management skills that give them more control over their lives. We can support people to stay in or return to work, and we often play a key part in multidisciplinary teams alongside rheumatologists, nurses, occupational therapists and psychologists.
Early access matters too, and earlier diagnosis and better access to care are central to this year’s campaign. Physiotherapists are often among the first professionals people see with joint pain, and recognising the signs of inflammatory arthritis and referring promptly can make a real difference to someone’s long-term outcomes.
EULAR has also invited healthcare professionals and researchers to share their own dreams for the future of RMD care. Their hopes include earlier diagnosis, more personalised treatment, a world where children can grow up free from lifelong disease and societies that are more inclusive and understanding. This World Arthritis Day, you might ask yourself the same question. What is your dream for the people you work with, and what could you do to help make it happen?
For some inspiration, you can start with the new EULAR Achieve Your Dreams podcast, featuring people living with RMDs sharing their challenges and ambitions. EULAR is also hosting a free webinar on 15 October exploring the dreams and challenges of people living with RMDs and the support that helps them achieve what matters most.
Every person living with an RMD has their own dreams, and every physiotherapist has the chance to help someone move closer to theirs. By listening to what matters most, setting goals together and supporting people to stay active and in control, we can help make this year’s theme more than a hope. WorldArthritisDay #WAD2026 #RMDreams
Physiopedia Plus is a subscription site that offers internationally accredited continuing education and professional development opportunities for the global rehabilitation community in 6 languages.
Your subscription fees fund the Physiopedia charity website to keep it updated and openly accessible to all.
Your subscription also provides FREE access to Plus for rehabilitation professionals in low income countries.
There are also discounts available depending on where you live and for students.