Nearly a quarter of the UK population admit that they have a poor understanding of arthritis, according to a new survey.
Of the 78 per cent who think they have a good or average understanding of arthritis, many actually believe common arthritis myths.
10 million people in the UK, including over 15,000 children, are affected by arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, yet over two thirds (68 per cent) of the public are unaware that children under the age of ten can be affected.
The National Arthritis Week survey, conducted by Arthritis Research UK, also revealed that while 78 per cent of people in Great Britain consider arthritis a serious condition, nearly half believe that arthritis simply means ‘aches and pains when you get old’. In fact, the term ‘arthritis’ is used to describe around two hundred conditions affecting the bones, joints and muscles, some of which can also cause the immune system to attack and seriously damage internal organs.
The research results were announced to launch the charity’s National Arthritis Week which runs from 8th – 14th October 2012 and aims to bust common myths around arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
Alan Silman, Arthritis Research UK Medical Director, said:
“One in six people in the UK are affected by arthritis, and anyone at any age can be affected. Our National Arthritis Week survey reveals that while most people think they have a good understanding of arthritis, for many people this understanding is actually unfounded as they believe common arthritis myths.
"It is particularly concerning that 3 in 10 (29 per cent) people in Great Britain believe that nothing much can be done to treat arthritis and that people affected just have to live with joint pain, and that the same proportion (32 per cent) would wait a few weeks before consulting a healthcare professional about pain in their joints.
"Early diagnosis and treatment can make a huge difference to the prognosis and outcome of inflammatory arthritis. There may be many people in the UK living with painful joints and reduced quality of life who have not consulted their GP and are not aware of the many treatments and self-help measures that could drastically relieve their pain.”
Nearly half (48 per cent) of the population of Great Britain believe or are unsure whether cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis. Research has shown that it may be linked to ligament damage, but it does not cause arthritis.
1 in 5 people in Great Britain do not believe being overweight makes you more likely to get arthritis, when in fact it is the strongest risk factor involved in the development of osteoarthritis.
Three-year-old Rosie Jupp from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was recently diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) after her parents Peter and Louise noticed that she began to wince in pain when they encouraged her to walk around as normal.
Peter Jupp says: “Rosie’s symptoms rapidly got worse and within a matter of weeks she would begin most mornings crying in what seemed like pain, and refusing to get up from the sofa after she’d had her milk.
“We have had to watch Rosie go through so much and as parents it has been heartbreaking so see her undergo the constant hospital visits and tests to get a diagnosis.
“There needs to be a greater social awareness of the disease. There is currently no cure for the chronic condition but without the pioneering research by Arthritis Research UK my little girl - and many other children like her - would undoubtedly be wheelchair-bound.”
For more information about the common arthritis myths, treatments available and Arthritis Research UK’s National Arthritis Week visit www.nationalarthritisweek.org.uk.