Did you know arthritis is the leading cause of disability for people over the age of 15? Age is just a number and arthritis can affect anyone, at any age. Three out of five Canadians with arthritis are under age 65. Arthritis is also among the most common chronic diseases in children, affecting one in 1,000 children.

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

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

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 healthcare expenses and lost work days. As one of Canada’s most costly chronic conditions, it disables two to three times more workers than all other chronic conditions.

Although arthritis is one of the most common, debilitating and costly chronic diseases in Canada, arthritis research receives much less funding than many other chronic diseases. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research reports that $20.5 million was spent on arthritis related research in 2009, representing about $4.58 for every person with arthritis. For comparison (figures 2000/2001):

• Diabetes research received three times as much or about $12.83 per person with diabetes;
• Cancer research received thirty-two times as much funding or about $138.60 per person with cancer;
• 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 – including the dedicated team at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC) – to better understand how to prevent, treat and find a cure for arthritis.

Exercise is a key management strategy for arthritis as it protects joints by strengthening the muscles and tissues around them. Physical activity actually ‘feeds’ the joints, because cartilage depends on joint movement to absorb nutrients and remove waste. Weight management is also critical. 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.