Despite its prevalence, arthritis is misunderstood. People, including policy-makers, are just starting to appreciate the enormous impact arthritis has on all aspects of Canadian society, an impact that will increase dramatically.

Canada pays a high cost for not having an effective and coordinated approach to addressing arthritis and its consequences. A decade ago arthritis cost Canadians $4.4 billion, most of this cost due to lost productivity and long term disability. One quarter of the cost of arthritis comes from the costs of health care. Ten years ago. that cost was $1 billion. Since then, twice as many Canadians were diagnosed and living with at least one of the 100 types of arthritis and by 2026 almost 6.5 million will be living with this disabling condition. It would be fair to assume that the cost has increased proportionally and will continue to climb as the demographic ages.

Everywhere, people are talking about the “Grey Tsunami” and its looming impact on our labour force. Yet we are allowing arthritis to rob us of productivity. Not only does arthritis force people to leave the workforce for days, weeks, months or even permanently, it also makes big demands on our health care and social support systems. Ten years ago nearly 25% of the visits to physicians were for osteoarthritis alone. The current focus on wait times has resulted in a significant amount of time from orthopedic surgeons, operating theaters, and rehabilitation specialists being devoted to replacing hips and knees. In Ontario alone, arthritis related surgeries accounted for more than half of all surgeries performed, 40% of those were for joint replacements.

Yet, the need for a joint replacement is not the inevitable cost and consequence of osteoarthritis. Arthritis can be fought. Research tells us that just ten pounds of extra weight increases your chances of developing osteoarthritis in your hips and knees. Public health strategies can and should help Canadians to maintain healthy joints. There is evidence that a moderate increase in activity will help Canadians to do just that.

the prevention and management of chronic diseases is critical to keep Canada’s health care system from collapse

Inflammatory arthritis can be devastating. Recent advances in pharmaceutical therapies have profoundly reduced the deformities and disability that are all too often the result of this chronic disease. Overwhelming evidence exists to show that early diagnosis, and proper and timely treatment can dramatically slow and often even stop the destruction of connective tissue and joints. Unfortunately, too many Canadians cannot access the skilled professionals to make that diagnosis. Canadians are forced to wait many months while the disease irreversibly destroys joints and tissue throughout the body. The best therapies are expensive and the unfortunate reality for too many Canadians is that cost is an insurmountable barrier to the therapy that they and their physician know is required. Canada can not afford the cost of allowing arthritis to unnecessarily condemn people to a life of pain and disability, and to rob its workforce of the people it so badly needs.

There is now recognition that the prevention and management of chronic diseases is critical to keep Canada’s health care system from collapse}. But arthritis, one of the most prevalent and costly of these diseases, has all too often been forgotten.

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