Recent findings by Phillip Conaghan, Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine and a report commissioned by Arthritis Care indicates a ‘ticking time bomb’ in the number of cases of osteoarthritis as an ageing population along with levels of obesity continue to rise over the next 20 years.
Professor Conaghan believes that cases of osteoarthritis, a leading cause of severe pain in hips, knees and hands, could double from 8.5 million to 17 million by 2030.
In a recent statement he declared that “action is needed immediately; we have to bust this myth that painful joints are inevitable part of getting older that we have to put up with.”
In the recent report; OANation2012, commissioned by Arthritis Care nearly 75% of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis complain of experiencing constant pain in their affected joints due to the condition, describing the pain as often “unbearable”.
Andrea Dipple, Managing Director at co-operative Xest, described these recent findings as “alarming” and called for more awareness of aids which can make living with osteoarthritis more comfortable and less painful.
She said that: “Being able to go about our daily lives without experiencing pain or distress is something that we are all sometimes guilty of taking for granted, but for sufferers of this debilitating condition, life can be very painful. Many people diagnosed with osteoarthritis however, do not realise that there are a huge range of specially designed aids that can make everyday tasks that little bit easier. Whether it is a Reacher for helping to pick things up or a Long Handled Brush to make brushing your hair more comfortable, there is always something which can help to make living with osteoarthritis less painful”.
For more information and to shop a wide range of daily living aids that can help sufferers of osteoarthritis visit http://co-opxest.com.
To view the OANation2012 report visit http://edit.arthritiscare.org.uk/LivingwithArthritis/oanation-2012/registration