Canadian arthritis patients don't take their medication as prescribed, even though they are in pain and know their medications work, a new survey says.
The Leger Marketing survey found that although 70 per cent of arthritis patients find medicine alleviates their symptoms, nearly nine in 10, or 87 per cent, do not always take it.
The survey also showed that:
- 24 per cent of Canadians with arthritis suffer from frequent pain
- Four in 10 of them say their pain is getting worse
- 37 per cent of patients take less medication than they should because they are concerned about taking too much and 13 per cent never take medication.
- 67 per cent of patients take their medication only when they are in pain and are therefore not using it as a preventative measure.
"A lot of people save their medication for when the pain really gets bad," Dr. Carter Thorne, a rheumatologist at South Lake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont., told CTV.ca.
"But we know from lots of studies, whether it's pain of arthritis or cancer pain, that if you wait too long the medication is not effective."
The online survey queried 1,003 Canadian arthritis patients over the age of 18.
Thorne said arthritis patients cite a number of reasons for not taking their medication. These include fears that, because prescription medications are sometimes withdrawn from the market, their medication will ultimately prove harmful. As well, patients think they will develop a tolerance for the drug and it will become ineffective.
"That is actually not the case," said Thorne.
About one in six Canadians, nearly 4.5 million people, aged 15 and over have arthritis, and 100,000 more people are diagnosed with the disease every year.
By the year 2026, it is estimated that 6 million Canadians will have arthritis.
The disease costs the Canadian health-care system an estimated $4.4 billion per year.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is characterized by the deterioration of cartilage in the joints. Cartilage can break away, causing pain in the joints, and eventually wear completely away. It primarily affects the hands, feet, knees, hips and spine.
Arthritis pain can be debilitating. In fact, according to the survey, pain kept 56 per cent of patients from being physically active, 36 per cent from doing housework, 21 per cent from being socially active and 17 per cent away from work.
That is why taking medication as prescribed is so important, according to Thorne.
"It's not just the pain that you're controlling, it's your quality of life that you're controlling," Thorne said.
"People manage their pain by giving things up and life is more important than that."
Thorne said there are a few important things that an arthritis patient can do to best manage their disease:
- Know what form of arthritis you have and how it is best treated.
- Learn about any medications you have been prescribed and how to take them properly.
- Talk to your family doctor, rheumatologist or physiotherapist and use resources such as The Arthritis Society.
Other ways for arthritis patients to manage their symptoms include:
- Exercise, such as swimming, walking and cycling, to strengthen muscles and improve range of motion in the joints.
- Losing weight to reduce the stress on joints.
- Hot and cold compresses to relieve pain and inflammation.
