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• Arthritis causes severe joint pain and inflammation, which can mean not being able to get dressed, open a door, or even hold a fork.
  
  
• It affects more adults than cancer, heart disease, respiratory conditions and spinal cord trauma—having a serious impact on quality of life.
  
  
• Some forms of arthritis can lead to disfigurement or even reduced life expectancy.
  
  
• As the leading cause of disability in Canada today, more than 600,000 Canadians with arthritis are unable to work.
  
  
• The long-term disability of musculoskeletal conditions in Canada accounted for 10.3 per cent of the total economic burden of all illnesses, but only 1.3 per cent of health science research.¹⁷
  
  
• Primary care physicians play a central role in the management of arthritis, yet the report highlights gaps in musculoskeletal education that have been documented in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate training.
  
  
• Research projects a need for a 64 per cent increase in the number of rheumatologists in Canada to deal with the growing prevalence of the disease by 2026. The current rate of recruitment is insufficient to maintain current manpower, or meet future needs.
  
  
• Long-term disability accounts for almost 80 per cent of arthritis-related costs, with 70 per cent of these costs incurred by individuals aged 35-64.
  
  
• At $16.4 billion, musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis, are the second most costly category of diseases in Canada.
  
  
• Compared to people with other chronic conditions, a higher proportion of people with arthritis report experiencing moderate to severe pain, restricted activity and long-term disability. This group was also more likely to need help with daily activities, report worse self-rated health, more disrupted sleep and depression, and more frequent contact with health care professionals
  

This page was last reviewed/updated on : 05/20/2008