Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Most people with arthritis will experience pain and difficulty moving around. Around 10 million people in the UK have arthritis and, like them, you can take control of your symptoms and continue to have a good quality of life.

There are over 200 kinds of rheumatic diseases – the word rheumatic means aches and pains in joints, bones and muscles. Two of the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis(RA).

Arthritis is not just a disease of older people – it can affect people of all ages, including children. It is not clear what causes arthritis and there is no cure at present. However, there is plenty you can do to manage your condition and lead a full and active life.

Arthritis is not a life sentence, but it can be life changing. Simple daily tasks can become difficult and painful, while managing family life and juggling work can be exhausting.

Adjusting isn’t always easy. But there are many people, services, products and benefits that can help.

Getting medical help and treatment for arthritis is important, but so is helping yourself – and it’s never too early to start. Although there is no cure for most forms of arthritis, there is a lot you can do to minimise the effect of arthritis on your everyday life.

Helpline

You don’t need to face arthritis alone. Our advisors aim to bring all of the information and advice about arthritis into one place to provide tailored support for you.

Call 0800 5200 520 for free today (Monday–Friday, 9am–8pm)

Email us: helpline@versusarthritis.org

Write to us:

Helpline
Versus Arthritis
Copeman House, St Mary’s Court
St Mary’s Gate
Chesterfield S41 7TD

You can also speak to the helpline, as well as other people with arthritis, through our online community.

Our aim is to provide people with arthritis, and those around them, with up to date information, advice and emotional support.

We want to empower people to understand more about their condition and the treatments and self-help options available. We aim to bring you the most up to date evidence-based information and developments for arthritis based on the latest research and medical information – we will always try to answer your questions.

We provide information and support on a range of topics such as:

• Understanding your condition
• Managing your condition
• How to get a diagnosis
• Medication and treatment options
• Pain management
• Issues with work
• Benefits available
• Self-help (diet, exercise, complementary therapies)
• Surgery
• Latest research
• Services available

You can be sure you’ll speak to someone who understands, because each member of the team are trained and have extensive knowledge of different types of arthritis and are updated regularly on new developments.

We receive a wide variety of enquiries but please be aware that we are not medically trained and are unable to answer individual medical questions. We would always refer you to your consultant or GP in this situation. We really do appreciate how frustrating this is as often it is difficult to get through to healthcare professionals, but it would be unsafe for us to field this type of question.

When appropriate we will share with you other sources and give details of the best organisation to help you, perhaps with more in-depth knowledge and experience on a particular topic.