As Ms. Brower's experience demonstrates, a number of misperceptions surround arthritis. Arthritis, the nation's leading cause of disability, is not a disease that only effects the frail and aged. Anyone can be afflicted with arthritis at any time. Arthritis and related conditions have affected nearly 43 million Americans. By the year 2020, as the Baby Boom generation ages, an estimated 60 million people will have arthritis.
Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability.
Arthritis 101 Arthritis consists of more than 100 inflammatory joint disorders characterized by pain, swelling, and limited movement. Arthritis may be caused by inflammation or infection in a joint, by degeneration of a joint as a person becomes older, or by a disorder of which arthritis is a symptom. The three most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, occurs when a joint wears out. It is the most common type of arthritis in the elderly.