Arthritis Australia

With an ageing and increasingly obese population, the number of people with arthritis is growing, especially as obesity is the major risk factor for osteoarthritis. Current trends suggest that, by 2050, 7 million Australians will suffer from some form of arthritis.[2]

Arthritis is the major cause of disability and chronic pain in Australia, with 3.85 million Australians affected at a cost to the Australian economy of more than $23.9 billion each year in medical care and indirect costs, such as loss of earnings and lost production.[3]

There is a widely held belief that arthritis is ‘just a part of getting old’, but it is not a natural part of ageing as 2.4 million of all Australians suffering from the disease are of working age.[4][5]

• Nearly one in six Australians has arthritis. Australians of all ages are affected.[4]
• Arthritis impacts directly on 3.3 million people, or 15% of the population and indirectly on their businesses, colleagues, friends and family.[3]
• By 2050, it is projected there will be 7 million Australians with arthritis.[2]
• Arthritis costs the economy about $26 billion a year.[4] Emotionally and socially, the hidden costs of arthritis are immeasurable
• Arthritis is the second most common cause of chronic pain and disability in Australia. Nearly 600,000 people have arthritis-related disability.[6]
• 58% of people diagnosed with arthritis are of working age (25–64 years)
• Over 5000 children have arthritis in Australia[7]
• Arthritis was declared a National Health Priority in 2002,
• There are more than 100 different types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and lupus are some of the most common forms of arthritis

Arthritis Australia advocates to government, business, industry and community leaders to improve care, management, support and quality of life for people with arthritis. In addition to developing a consumer led, proactive policy and advocacy agenda, the organisation participates in government consultations and prepare submissions to government agencies on a range of issues affecting people with arthritis.

Arthritis Australia develops and supports several programs and projects that:

• provide support and information to people with arthritis as well as their families and friends
• promote awareness of the challenges facing people with arthritis across the community, and to leaders in business, industry, and government
• fund research into potential causes and possible cures as well as better ways to live with arthritis, and/or
• aim to keep health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and community nurses informed.

Arthritis Australia strives to further the knowledge of arthritis and to search for cures. Much of Australia Arthritis’s work is directed toward raising funds to provide grants, fellowships and scholarships. Arthritis Australia awards nearly $1 million in annual funding to researchers engaged in basic and clinical research that aims to further knowledge of arthritis and develop treatments and cures. Grant recipients are mostly early or mid-career scientists and clinicians. One-year fellowships, project grants and scholarships are also offered.

In keeping with its mission of promoting medical education, Arthritis Australia conducts the Arthritis Australia/Zimmer Biomet Orthopaedic Fellowship Program.[12] The program, supported by Zimmer Biomet Pty Ltd, promotes best practice orthopaedic surgery and is available to Australian and New Zealand institutions and practitioners.

Arthritis Australia relies on community groups, individuals, corporate sponsors and the Australian government for most of its funding.

The voluntary board of directors of Arthritis Australia is made up of corporate, health and community representatives who are committed to:

• developing further initiatives for assisting Australians with arthritis
• restricting the rate of growth of arthritis in Australia
• ensuring arthritis is on the national agenda, and
• advocating world class research into the disease

Arthritis Australia, originally named the Australian Rheumatism Council, held its inaugural meeting on 25 May 1949. Its objectives were to:

• Institute research into causes and means of alleviation of any form of rheumatic condition
• To establish special facilities for the treatment of rheumatic conditions
• To endow chairs at appropriate university medical schools
• To communicate knowledge as to the methods of prevention, alleviation and cure of rheumatic conditions.

In 1968 the name was changed to Australian Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation and in 1984 the foundation incorporated in New South Wales and became the Arthritis Foundation of Australia.

From 1948 through the 1950s, individual physicians who were interested in the management of rheumatic conditions were at disadvantage as there were few facilities at the teaching hospitals. There was also widespread ignorance among the general public as to what could be done for people with arthritis. In 1960 the foundation received a bequest that made it possible for funds to be directed towards facilitating the training of young physicians in the special skills required to treat people with arthritis.

From 1967 to 1982, each state developed an independent arthritis organisation with aims focused on the treatment and rehabilitation facilities in each state. Each state/territory offices operates as an autonomous organisation and all state and territory offices except for Arthritis Victoria are affiliated with Arthritis Australia. Today, the Arthritis Australia state affiliates focus on education for health consumers and health professionals, support the National Arthritis Infoline, distribute information sheets and booklets and run community seminars.

• Arthritis Foundation – USA
• Arthritis Research UK – UK
• Arthritis Care – UK
• The Swedish Rheumatism Association – Sweden
• The Arthritis Society – Canada
• Arthritis New Zealand

Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 medical conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, specifically joints where two or more bones meet.

The three most significant – osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout – account for more than 95 per cent of cases in Australia. The most common forms of arthritis are:

• Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the whole joint including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. It may include inflammation, damage to joint cartilage, bony spurs or deterioration of the ligaments.
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes pain and swelling of the joints. The normal role of the body’s immune system is to fight off infections to keep the body healthy. In an autoimmune disease, your immune system starts attacking your own healthy tissues. In RA, the immune system targets the lining of the joints, causing inflammation and joint damage. However larger joints such as the hips and knees can also be affected.
• Gout is a condition in which small crystals form in and around the joint, causing inflammation, pain and swelling. These crystals are made of one of the body’s normal waste products, uric acid. Normally the body rids itself of extra uric acid through the kidneys into the urine. However this does not happen fast enough in people with gout. This causes uric acid levels to build up and the crystals to form.
• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a condition that mainly affects the spine. The joints of the neck, back and pelvis become inflamed, causing pain and stiffness. The sacroiliac joints are commonly affected in AS. These joints connect the base of your spine (sacrum) to your pelvis. Other joints, such as the hips and shoulders, can also be involved. AS can also affect other parts of the body, such as the eyes, skin, bowel and lungs. The symptoms of AS usually begin between the ages of 15 and 45 years.
• Juvenile arthritis includes all types of arthritis that affect people less than 16 years of age. As with adult arthritis, there are different types of juvenile arthritis. It usually takes an arthritis specialist – a rheumatologist – to diagnose this medical condition.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (also called SLE or lupus) is an autoimmune condition. The normal role of the body’s immune system is to fight off infections and diseases to keep you healthy. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, your immune system starts attacking one's own healthy tissues. For some people lupus may just affect the skin or joints. In other people the lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, brain or other parts of the body may also be affected.
• Scleroderma – The word scleroderma means "hard skin". Scleroderma affects the connective tissues of the body (tissues that hold together joints, muscles, blood vessels and internal organs). The connective tissues of people with scleroderma have too much of a protein called collagen. Collagen is important to give connective tissue its strength, but excess collagen causes hardening and tightening of the affected area.

Arthritis-related problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of bones, enabling them to move against each another) and surrounding structures. This can result in joint weakness, instability and deformities that can interfere with the most basic daily tasks such as walking, driving a car and preparing food.

Arthritis is not yet curable. While the condition is usually manageable, it invariably impacts on a person’s quality of life and includes varying degrees of discomfort and pain.

• Official website