Britain is facing a tsunami of pain
The number of arthritis sufferers is set to double in the next 20 years, it has been warned.
Britain is facing an osteoarthritis (OA) time bomb as cases are set to double to up to 17 million by 2030, according to Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine Philip Conaghan.
A report commissioned by Arthritis Care found that more than two thirds of sufferers said they were in constant pain and one in eight said it was 'unbearable'.
Professor Conaghan said: "Britain is facing a tsunami of pain due to osteoarthritis as the number of people over 50 increases dramatically and obesity levels continue to rise.
"Action is needed immediately; we have to bust this myth that painful joints are an inevitable part of getting older that we have to put up with."