Around 10 million people – adults, children and young people – are living with arthritis in the UK [1]. It is one of the most common health conditions, causing varying levels of pain and disability and impacting people’s quality of life. As the population ages, the number of people living with arthritis and other long-term health conditions is expected to rise. This is our 2026 update on the numbers of people affected and the treatments that are available…
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is actually an umbrella term for a group of conditions that cause painful, stiff and inflamed joints. The most common form of the disease is osteoarthritis which causes the cartilage lining the joints to deteriorate due to wear properties with time. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones, helping them to slide smoothly over each other when you move your joint. As it wears away, the bones can start to rub together, causing pain and loss of mobility. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body but occurs most often in the knees, hips, hands, neck and lower back.
According to Arthritis UK’s report, The State of Musculoskeletal Health 2025 [2], 6 million women in the UK have osteoarthritis and four million men. Knee osteoarthritis is the most common – 4,615,697 people in England had the condition in 2025 – followed by hip osteoarthritis (which affected 2,764,346 people).
Other forms of arthritis include Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an autoimmune condition that causes the body’s own immune system to attack joint linings. A range of other symptoms can also occur with Rheumatoid Arthritis, including heart, digestive, eye and skin conditions. Gout is a painful form of arthritis caused by crystals forming in the joints due to a build-up of uric acid. Symptoms flare up – known as gout attacks, and these flare-ups typically last a week or two but can be longer. Psoriatic Arthritis is linked to the chronic skin condition, psoriasis. It causes joint pain and stiffness, a rash which commonly occurs on the elbows, scalp, knees and lower back, changes to the fingernails or toenails and skin discolouration near the affected joints.
Impact of arthritis
Arthritis can cause a range of debilitating symptoms including joint pain which is worse when you move, stiffness, swelling, joint weakness or deformity. In addition, people with arthritis have a 24% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and one in five of them experience symptoms of depression and anxiety [3]. People with arthritis are 20% less likely to be in work than someone without the disease. Analysis by York Health Economic Consortium in 2017 estimated the cost of working days lost due to osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis at £3 billion in 2024. By 2040 it is forecast to be £4 billion.
Treatments for arthritis
In the early stages, when symptoms are mild to moderate, arthritis can be treated with a mix of painkilling medication, physiotherapy exercises, low impact physical activities such as walking or yoga, and occupational therapy. As the disease develops, therapeutic injections can help to manage the worsening symptoms.
Carrothers Orthopaedics offers Arthrosamid Injections for knee osteoarthritis, for example, which uses a permanent injectable hydrogel to provide pain relief for up to three years. To read more click here.
N-stride injections are another effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. They use anti-inflammatory cytokines and anabolic growth factors collected from the patient’s own blood and injected into the site of pain.
For the most serious forms of arthritis, the most effective treatment is joint replacement surgery. This entails removing the damaged joint, or section of joint, and replacing it with a prosthetic implant.
Mako robotic-arm assisted joint replacement is a state-of-the-art approach that uses Mako’s advanced computer software programme to pre-plan surgery, combined with an innovative robotic arm that helps the orthopaedic surgeon to achieve pinpoint precision in the operating theatre. Mako technology has been shown to deliver better outcomes for patients, including lower pain scores and higher patient satisfaction levels.
Andrew Carrothers is one of the UK orthopaedic surgeons who has pioneered Mako joint replacement surgery. The Carrothers team recently celebrated after performing their 1000th procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there research on the effectiveness of Arthrosamid Injections?
Yes. A study at Keele University showed the procedure delivered an overall improvement rate of 76% at six months. Read more here.
Who is most at risk of osteoarthritis?
While anyone can develop the disease it is most common in people over 55, particularly those who are overweight, have diabetes, high cholesterol or certain autoimmune disease.
Why does Rheumatoid Arthritis cause joint pain?
The disease causes inflammation in the body which damages the cartilage and can deform the joints. It can also affect the skin, eyes, heart, lungs and mouth.
Carrothers Orthopaedic offers a range of effective treatments for arthritis, ranging from mild to severe symptoms. Contact us for information about diagnosis, treatment and management of arthritis symptoms.
Sources
[1] https://authoring.arthritis-uk.org/media/14yflayr/auk-state-of-msk-2-page-summary-bilingual.pdf
[2] https://www.arthritis-uk.org/media/flpbvm2m/arthritisuk_state_of_msk_health_-report_2025.pdf
[3] https://www.arthritis-uk.org/media/flpbvm2m/arthritisuk_state_of_msk_health_-report_2025.pdf
