Category Archives: World Arthritis Day

Arthritis is all around us, yet its impact on individuals, their families, employers and the country are far greater than most people realize.

Arthritis Disability

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.

Arthritis Prevalence

• By conservative estimates, about 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
• Almost 300,000 babies and children have arthritis or a rheumatic condition.
• The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans.
• Number of people expected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2040: more than 78 million.

Who Gets Arthritis

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is more common in women (26 percent) than in men (18 percent). In some types, such as rheumatoid arthritis, women far outnumber men.

Economic Cost of Arthritis

Almost two-thirds of adults in the U.S. with arthritis are of working age (18-64 years).

Arthritis and other non-traumatic joint disorders are among the five most costly conditions among adults 18 and older.

Comorbidities

Arthritis is much more common among people who have other chronic conditions.

• 49 percent of adults with heart disease have arthritis.
• 47 percent of adults with diabetes have arthritis.
• 31 percent of adults who are obese have arthritis.

Source: https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/arthritis-statistics-facts.php

Arthritis is very common but is not well understood. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.

Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. Symptoms may come and go. They can be mild, moderate or severe. They may stay about the same for years, but may progress or get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to do daily activities and make it difficult to walk or climb stairs. Arthritis can cause permanent joint changes. These changes may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen on X-ray. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints.

There are different types of arthritis:

Degenerative Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. When the cartilage – the slick, cushioning surface on the ends of bones – wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Over time, joints can lose strength and pain may become chronic. Risk factors include excess weight, family history, age and previous injury (an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear, for example). 

When the joint symptoms of osteoarthritis are mild or moderate, they can be managed by:

• balancing activity with rest
• using hot and cold therapies
• regular physical activity
• maintaining a healthy weight 
• strengthening the muscles around the joint for added support
• using assistive devices 
• taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medicines
• avoiding excessive repetitive movements

If joint symptoms are severe, causing limited mobility and affecting quality of life, some of the above management strategies may be helpful, but joint replacement may be necessary.

Osteoarthritis can prevented by staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding injury and repetitive movements.

Inflammatory Arthritis

A healthy immune system is protective. It generates internal inflammation to get rid of infection and prevent disease. But the immune system can go awry, mistakenly attacking the joints with uncontrolled inflammation, potentially causing joint erosion and may damage internal organs, eyes and other parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are examples of inflammatory arthritis. Researchers believe that a combination of genetics and environmental factors can trigger autoimmunity. Smoking is an example of an environmental risk factor that can trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people with certain genes.

With autoimmune and inflammatory types of arthritis, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is critical. Slowing disease activity can help minimize or even prevent permanent joint damage. Remission is the goal and may be achieved through the use of one or more medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The goal of treatment is to reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further joint damage.

Infectious Arthritis

A bacterium, virus or fungus can enter the joint and trigger inflammation. Examples of organisms that can infect joints are salmonella and shigella (food poisoning or contamination), chlamydia and gonorrhea (sexually transmitted diseases) and hepatitis C (a blood-to-blood infection, often through shared needles or transfusions). In many cases, timely treatment with antibiotics may clear the joint infection, but sometimes the arthritis becomes chronic.

Metabolic Arthritis

Uric acid is formed as the body breaks down purines, a substance found in human cells and in many foods. Some people have high levels of uric acid because they naturally produce more than is needed or the body can’t get rid of the uric acid quickly enough. In some people the uric acid builds up and forms needle-like crystals in the joint, resulting in sudden spikes of extreme joint pain, or a gout attack. Gout can come and go in episodes or, if uric acid levels aren’t reduced, it can become chronic, causing ongoing pain and disability.

Diagnosing Arthritis

Arthritis diagnosis often begins with a primary care physician, who performs a physical exam and may do blood tests and imaging scans to help determine the type of arthritis. An arthritis specialist, or rheumatologist, should be involved if the diagnosis is uncertain or if the arthritis may be inflammatory. Rheumatologists typically manage ongoing treatment for inflammatory arthritis, gout and other complicated cases. Orthopaedic surgeons do joint surgery, including joint replacements. When the arthritis affects other body systems or parts, other specialists, such as ophthalmologists, dermatologists or dentists, may also be included in the health care team.

What Can Be Done About Arthritis?

There are many things that can be done to preserve joint function, mobility and quality of life. Learning about the disease and treatment options, making time for physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are essential. Arthritis is a commonly misunderstood disease. The Arthritis Foundation is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to serving all people with arthritis. Its website, arthritis.org, has many resources for learning about arthritis, practical tips for daily living and more.

Source: https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis.php

Rheumatic or musculoskeletal conditions comprise over 150 diseases and syndromes, which are usually progressive and associated with pain. They can broadly be categorized as joint diseases, physical disability, spinal disorders, and conditions resulting from trauma. Musculoskeletal conditions are leading causes of morbidity and disability, giving rise to enormous healthcare expenditures and loss of work.

Those conditions with the greatest impact on society include:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic systemic disease that affects the joints, connective tissues, muscle, tendons, and fibrous tissue. It tends to strike during the most productive years of adulthood, between the ages of 20 and 40, and is a chronic disabling condition often causing pain and deformity.

• The prevalence varies between 0.3% and 1% and is more common in women and in developed countries.
• Within 10 years on onset, at least 50% of patients in developed countries are unable to hold down a full-time job.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, which mainly affects the articular cartilage. It is associated with ageing and will most likely affect the joints that have been continually stressed throughout the years including the knees, hips, fingers, and lower spine region.

• Osteoarthritis is already one of the ten most disabling diseases in developed countries.
• Farming 1-9 years increases the risk of osteoarthritis 4.5 times; farming 10 or more years increases the risk 9.3 times.
• Worldwide estimates are that 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women aged over 60 years have symptomatic osteoarthritis.
• 80% of those with osteoarthritis will have limitations in movement, and 25% cannot perform their major daily activities of life.

Spinal Disorders

Spinal Disorders include trauma, mechanical injury, spinal cord injury, inflammation, infection, and tumour. About 80–85% of back pain episodes have no known cause.

• Low back pain, the most common spinal disorder, affects over 80% of persons at some point in their life, and from 4–33% of a population at any one time.
• Back pain is the most common cause of disability among young adults.
• Many factors, physical, psychological and occupational, contribute to the occurrence of back pain.

Severe limb trauma

Severe limb trauma that can result in permanent disability includes amputations, fractures, crushing injuries, dislocations, open wounds, blood vessel and nerve injuries.

• In developed countries, serious limb trauma requiring hospitalization arises 50% of the time from falls, 15–20% from road traffic accidents, and about 20% from machinery and tool usage.
• The highest rates for limb trauma occur in two distinct age groups: those 5–34 years of age and those over 75 years of age. In the elderly, falls represent the greatest threat for incurring limb injury, while road traffic accidents present the highest risk factor for adolescents and young adults.

Source: https://www.who.int/chp/topics/rheumatic/en/

World Arthritis Day was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) and is celebrated each year on 12 October.

People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) from around the world can join together to make their voices heard on this day.

Although 12 October is the official World Arthritis Day, this is a year round campaign.

The aims of World Arthritis Day are to:

• raise awareness of RMDs amongst the medical community, people with RMDs and the general public
• influence public policy by making decision-makers aware of the burden of RMDs and the steps which can be taken to ease it
• ensure all people with RMDs and their caregivers are aware of the vast support network available to them.

Source: https://www.gov.za/speeches/world-arthritis-day-2019-18-dec-2018-0938