Arthritis Myths

There are many misconceptions about arthritis. One of the most significant challenges in fighting this disease is setting the record straight.

Myth 1 “Arthritis is a disease of the elderly.”

Arthritis affects people of all ages. It is the leading cause of disability for people over the age of 15. Nearly 4.5 million adults in Canada are diagnosed with arthritis, and three out of five people with arthritis are under age 65. Arthritis is also among the most common chronic diseases in children, affecting one in 1,000 children.

Myth 2 “Arthritis is a single disease.”

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. It may affect only a single joint, multiple joints, or it can be an auto-immune disease that attacks the whole body. Different types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout and ankylosing spondylitis.

Myth 3 “Arthritis is just aches and pains.”

Arthritis is a leading cause of pain, physical disability and health-care utilization in Canada. It can make even daily activities, such as getting dressed, opening a door or even walking up the stairs, extremely difficult or impossible. Inflammatory forms of the disease can cause the destruction of joints and soft tissues around the joints, leading to pain, disability, loss of quality of life, and in severe cases, early death.

Myth 4 “Arthritis isn’t a big deal.”

Arthritis is among the top three chronic diseases in Canada and can be devastating, disabling and fatal. Arthritis hurts our families and our economy, costing more than $4 billion annually in health-care expenses and lost work days. In fact, as one of Canada’s most costly chronic conditions, it disables two to three times more workers than all other chronic conditions.

Myth 5 “Arthritis research receives the right amount of funding compared to how many people are affected by it.”

Although arthritis is one of the most common, debilitating and costly chronic diseases in Canada, arthritis research receives much less research funding than many other chronic diseases. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research spent $19 million on arthritis related research in 2005-2006, representing just $4.30 for every person with arthritis. For comparison, diabetes research received three times as much funding (or about $12.83) per person with diabetes; cancer research received 32 times as much funding (or about $138.60) per person with cancer; and HIV-AIDS research received 139 times as much funding (or about $598.40) per person with a positive HIV-AIDS test. More funding for arthritis research is critical for researchers to better understand how to prevent, treat and find a cure for arthritis.

Myth 6 “Physical activity is bad for arthritis.”

Although two-thirds of Canadians with arthritis believe that physical activity poses the risk of aggravating their symptoms, physical activity is a key management strategy for arthritis. Exercise protects joints by strengthening the muscles around them. Physical activity actually ‘feeds’ the joints, as cartilage depends on joint movement to absorb nutrients and remove waste. Strong muscles and tissues support joints that have been weakened and damaged by arthritis. Weight management is also critical to arthritis. For each pound of excess body weight lost, there is a corresponding four-fold reduction in the load exerted on the knee joint during daily activities.