Facts

Who has arthritis?

• Arthritis can strike anyone at any time, regardless of age, physical condition or ethnic background.
• Nearly three of every five people with arthritis are under the age of 65.
• Nearly 4.5 million, or one in six, Canadians aged 15 years and older report having arthritis and arthritis-related conditions.

Types of arthritis

• There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, which can be broken down into two main types.
• Degenerative arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, occurs when a joint degenerates and the cartilage begins to wear away, causing bone-on-bone friction and leading to pain, stiffness and swelling.
• Inflammatory arthritis is a form of the disease that attacks the lining of the joints and/or other internal organs. Inflammatory joint diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondilitis and others.

Costs of arthritis

• Arthritis is the leading cause of work disability in Canada.
• In rheumatoid arthritis, research shows rates of work disability are remarkably high. Approximately two out of three (66%) people with rheumatoid arthritis have experienced short term or long term loss of ability to work due to their disease.

Physical activity and arthritis

• Although two-thirds of Canadians with arthritis believe that physical activity poses the risk of aggravating their symptoms, physical activity is a key prevention strategy for chronic diseases like arthritis.
• Weight management is critical to arthritis. Losing 10 pounds of excess weight translates into a decrease in stress on the knees by 40 pounds.
• More than 80% of hip and knee joint replacement surgeries are caused by arthritis.
• Appropriate physical activity has been shown to reduce pain for people with arthritis.