What is arthritis?
According to Arthritis Society Canada, Arthritis, which is a combination of the Latin words “arthro” meaning joint and “itis” meaning inflammation, is a term that describes more than 100 diseases. They all feature redness and swelling causing pain in the joints (hip, knee, spine, other weight-bearing joints, fingers and non-weight-bearing joints).
Arthritis is a chronic condition. If left untreated, it can damage the affected area and result in loss of function and disability. Symptoms of arthritis can range from mild to severe. It can also leave some people unable to work for periods of time and threaten their freedom of movement and sleep.
Who is most affected by arthritis?
In Canada, arthritis impacts 1 in 5 adults, which equates to about 6 million people across the country. Though arthritis becomes more common as you age, half the people living with arthritis are under age 65.
It is also more common in women (1 in 4) than men (1 in 6).
Arthritis is also one of the leading causes of disability in Canada. Even those working with arthritis face challenges, | PDF 72.6 KB as 44% reported working with job limitations and another 33% reported needing modifications.
While arthritis can impact anyone, it is prevalent in seniors. Of seniors over the age of 65, 1 in 2 people are dealing with arthritis and nearly 60% are women.
This could force some seniors to pay for medications and treatments for arthritis out of pocket if they’ve lost some or all of their benefits after retiring or don’t have personal health and dental coverage.
Types of arthritis
There are 2 broad categories of arthritis:
Osteoarthritis
This is the most common type of arthritis. It affects more Canadians than all other types combined, although women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men.
Whether due to aging or an injury, it’s a deterioration of the cartilage that protects the ends of bones, resulting in bone-on-bone contact. In the affected joint, this can cause pain, stiffness, inflammation and reduced range of motion.
Inflammatory arthritis
This is arthritis caused by inflammation and can include things like lupus, gout, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Most conditions are autoimmune diseases where the body defense system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissues. Some are considered systemic diseases because they can impact the entire body.
The inflammation can cause pain, stiffness, limited mobility, tiredness, and joint and tissue damage. If not diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion, these conditions may progress faster and more aggressively than osteoarthritis.
Risk factors for arthritis
Risk factors for arthritis are broken up into 2 categories : non-modifiable and modifiable.
- Non-modifiable risk factors are things like age, sex and genetics, while modifiable risk factors are things you can help control.
- Obesity, physical inactivity, injuries, infections, smoking, diet and certain occupations that involve repetitive bending of the knees and hips are examples of modifiable risk factors.
Prevention
There is no specific way you can prevent arthritis, but there are things you can do to potentially help reduce your risk and delay the onset of it. Maintaining mobility and function of healthy joints is a good start.
Some things you can do that may help you reduce the risk or delay the onset of some forms of arthritis are:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Don’t smoke
- Eat a healthy diet
- Wear proper sporting equipment and exercise to help avoid injuries
Treatment of arthritis
Arthritis is complicated disease. Only a medical professional can accurately diagnose it and recommend a treatment plan geared to your specific symptoms.
Your treatment could potentially include drugs that provide pain relief, control symptoms and control the disease.
Your health provider may also suggest exploring lifestyle changes such as:
- Eating well
- Therapeutic exercise
- Staying active
- Weight management
- Joint protection
- Relaxation techniques
- Treatments like physical therapy
Managing arthritis
Managing arthritis can be costly for a few different reasons. Certain medications and treatments may not be covered by your health benefits or provincial government.
You may also be forced to take time off work because of arthritis or require ongoing care.
If your workplace benefits are with Canada Life, we may cover some of the costs of your medications and paramedical treatments. Check your coverages and balances to see what’s available to you. If you don’t have workplace benefits or have lost some, or all of them, you may wish to consider getting Freedom to Choose™ health and dental insurance to help cover the costs of drugs and paramedical services such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy.