Access to physios and dietitians essential to address escalating arthritis crisis
- Representatives of the arthritis community and leading experts will gather in Parliament House for the first time to address the escalating issues in arthritis and musculoskeletal care.
- Arthritis Australia is calling for affordable, non-surgical care from physiotherapists, dietitians, and other allied health professionals to help stem the escalating arthritis crisis placing unprecedented strain on our communities, hospitals, and health budget.
- More than a third of Australians are living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain. Together they are our most costly disease group with an annual burden of $15 billion.1
- Hip and knee replacements for osteoarthritis have reached a record high, averaging over 370 procedures per day and projected to more than double by 2030 to an unsustainable over 650 daily surgeries. 2,3,4
- Research shows education and support for exercise, weight loss, and pain management through allied health professionals can reduce costly hip and knee replacements by a third – saving $1.01 billion annually.5
/Public Release.