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Mayor Shari Decter Hirst speaks during The Arthritis Society’s Moving Beyond Arthritis forum at the Prairie Oasis Senior Centre on Wednesday.
Arthritis can strike anyone at any age. Currently in Canada, an estimated 4.6 million people are living with the disease.
In Manitoba, that number is more than 250,000.
"Osteoarthritis is the most common form," said Dr. David Robinson, rheumatologist and director of the Arthritis Centre in Winnipeg. "It’s the kind of wear-and-tear arthritis that you get."
Robinson said with the aging population and the increase in obesity, the number of cases is expected to double in the next 20 years.
"The demand for joint-replacement surgery goes up by 10 per cent per year in the province," he said.
Robinson was the keynote speaker at The Arthritis Society of Manitoba’s Moving Beyond Arthritis Forum in Brandon on Wednesday.
The day began with Mayor Shari Decter Hirst signing a proclamation, declaring Oct. 10 to be World Arthritis Day in Brandon.
The Arthritis Society flag was raised for the day at city hall.
A full-day forum followed at Prairie Oasis Senior Centre. Decter Hirst, who has rheumatoid arthritis, opened the forum.
"It’s challenging in anyone’s life to have your body do this to you," she said. "My grandmother had arthritis and I expected I would probably wind up on a veranda in a rocking chair with an afghan over my knees complaining about my joints many years from now … instead I wound up with arthritis when my kids were very active … and it was not something that I thought I would ever have to deal with."
Arthritis is the third most common health condition in the province. It is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of the joints. There are more than 100 different forms of the disease, and those afflicted with it often suffer chronic pain.
Sixty per cent of those with arthritis are under the age of 65. Juvenile arthritis is a leading chronic disease among children, affecting more than 600 in Manitoba.
"I think that because we try and do so much, we are our own worst enemy sometimes," Decter Hirst said.
"And when we have all the professional resources available to us now, really important breaking research, a wonderful support group here in the city, the expertise of The Arthritis Society … there’s just no excuse for not being well informed in managing arthritis well."
There is no cure for arthritis. Treatment options can include physical therapy, lifestyle changes, orthopaedic bracing and medication.
Bonnie Hopps, an education facilitator with The Arthritis Society, was diagnosed with the disease 33 years ago.
Her message to others dealing with arthritis is "you can live with it and you can work with it."
"You can either roll over, lay down and let it take over your life, or … you can live," Hopps said. "You want to be as able-bodied as you possibly can … you really have to keep those muscles strong."
The Arthritis Society gave special recognition to Brandon’s arthritis support group, as it mark its 30th anniversary.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 11, 2012
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Arthritis can strike anyone at any age. Currently in Canada, an estimated 4.6 million people are living with the disease.
In Manitoba, that number is more than 250,000.
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Arthritis can strike anyone at any age. Currently in Canada, an estimated 4.6 million people are living with the disease.
In Manitoba, that number is more than 250,000.
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