Arthritis

Arthritis is characterized by joint and musculoskeletal pain. Often this pain is a result of inflammation of the joint lining. Inflammation is involved in many forms of arthritis and is the body’s natural response to injury. The warning signs presented by inflammation are redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss of function. When a joint becomes inflamed, it may experience any or all of these symptoms. Arthritis affects people of every age, gender and ethnic background. Genetics, age and lifestyle can all play a part in increasing one’s risk of developing arthritis.

Establishing an early diagnosis is critical to the outcome of the disease, since it only gets progressively worse and therapies work best when started as early as possible.

Arthritis Facts and Figures

Over 4.6 million Canadian adults (one in six Canadians aged 15 years and older) report having arthritis. By 2036, this number is expected to grow to an estimated 7.5 million Canadian adults (one in five).
By 2036 it is estimated that 7.5 million, or one in five, Canadian adults will be living with arthritis
Arthritis is the most common chronic condition* reported by women and the third most common by men.
Although arthritis is often perceived as a condition of the elderly, 56 per cent of Canadians with arthritis are under 65 years of age.
More than 59 per cent of Canadians with arthritis report activity limitations – twice as likely as people with other chronic conditions, and more than seven times as likely as people without any chronic illness.
It is estimated that one million Canadians live with inflammatory types of arthritis.
13 per cent of Canadian adults are affected by osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis
Joint damage caused by osteoarthritis accounts for more than 80 per cent of hip replacement surgery and over 90 per cent of knee replacements in Canada.

Above statistics quoted from The Arthritis Society, Arthritis in Canada Facts and Figures