Despite improvements in awareness about arthritis, there are still many myths and misconceptions around the condition. This can lead to confusion about the best way to treat arthritis, and may even prompt some people to ignore symptoms based on the belief that they couldn’t possibly have it. Here are some of the most common false perceptions cleared up.
1. It’s just caused by old age
There’s a common idea that arthritis is basically just the aches and pains that come with growing older. This isn’t true. While it is more common in older people, arthritis can develop at any age. In the USA, arthritis and rheumatic conditions affect around 300,000 under-18s, and two thirds of sufferers are under 65.
On the other hand, even in old age many people never develop arthritis. Some 30% of those over 70 show no x-ray evidence of the condition, and half of the 70% whose joints do show damage never develop noticeable symptoms.
Largely the age of the sufferer depends on the type of arthritis. There are more than 100 types, but the main two categories are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, caused by ‘wear and tear’ to the joints, mainly affects older people, but can also occur at any age due to joint injury. Rheumatoid arthritis, along with conditions like Reiter’s syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis, usually occurs in middle adulthood, most commonly affecting those aged between 30 and 55. This is caused by a progressive autoimmune condition, in which antibodies attack the body’s own cells. Like osteoarthritis, this usually affects the joints, but can also affect other areas of the body.
2. It’s not a big deal
This is certainly not true. Tempting as it may be to try and shrug it off and carry on, arthritis needs to be acknowledged – and treated – as a serious condition. Arthritis and rheumatic diseases are the most common chronic conditions, affecting around one in three adults. That’s more than 40 million people in the US, with 750,000 hospital and 44 million physician visits each year.
Not only can it cause severe discomfort, arthritis is also a leading cause of people having to leave work due to disability. Studies have also shown that arthritis sufferers often also have lung and cardiovascular problems, and may be more likely to develop infections.
Arthritis also deserves serious attention when you take into account the costs, which on some estimates are around $86.2 billion annually in the USA – certainly a wake-up call to compare health insurance providers. In addition to healthcare bills, there are more intangible costs, including time taken off work by both the sufferer and family members, and adjustments made to home and lifestyle to improve comfort.
3. There are no effective treatments
While it’s true that there is no way of curing most chronic rheumatic diseases, it’s certainly not true that nothing can be done to alleviate the symptoms. Many treatments are available, including medications, natural remedies and lifestyle changes. One recent study shows that 94% of people with rheumatoid arthritis were able to continue living independently and performing all their normal activities, 10 years after being diagnosed.
The earlier the condition is diagnosed and treated, the better. Delaying treatment is likely to lead to much worse symptoms in future, while early treatment has been shown to stem the progression of the condition in some people.
Do make sure you consult your doctor before trying anything out. There are vast amounts of products being marketed to help arthritis sufferers, but you may find that there are much simpler, cheaper and more effective things you can do rather than spending all your money on special creams or gadgets.
4. It’s connected to the weather
According to the Arthritis Foundation, nearly half of arthritis patients say they can predict the weather, and it’s a common perception that symptoms are worsened by cold and damp weather. However, there’s no conclusive scientific evidence for this yet, although some experts suggest changes in barometric pressure may affect the condition.
The underlying factor here may be that hot and sunny weather is more likely to encourage activity. Low-impact exercise like swimming, walking, stretching, yoga, tai chi and cycling, can alleviate arthritis symptoms by boosting the strength and mobility of joints. So it may not be the weather itself making symptoms feel worse, just too much sitting indoors!
