Seven in ten arthritis sufferers in the UK endure constant pain, research by YouGov for Arthritis Care reveals.
The study shows that 70% of the 10 million-or-so people in Britain with arthritis are in perpetual pain, around a quarter (23%) find their pain “just bearable”. YouGov’s survey found that discomfort caused by the condition worsens over time, with only 10 per cent of sufferers who have lived with arthritis for more than 20 years saying that it was not painful.
The research shows how limiting the condition can be for some people. When it is at its worst, more than half of sufferers have trouble going up and down the stairs (56%) and gardening (51%), while three in ten (31%) find they can’t get out of bed.
YouGov’s findings point to the remedies people with arthritis turn to in an effort help manage the condition. Eight in ten (81%) use only over-the-counter drugs, with paracetamol and anti-inflammatory gel being the most common. This may be because nearly half (42%) believe arthritic pain was not a priority for the NHS and only a third (32%) of patients are offered help with self-management of the condition.
