There are more than 200 different types of arthritis.

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 the UK's biggest single cause of physical disability, affecting about nine million people.

It affects the young, as well as adults, with about 12,000 children and 27,000 under-25s having the condition.

Nearly three-quarters – 72 per cent – of people with arthritis meet the legal definition of being disabled.

Two-thirds of working-age disabled people are not in paid employment.

Problems caused by arthritis account for about 30 per cent of visits to GPs' surgeries in the country.