TOO YOUNG TO FEEL OLD

Arthritis isn’t a disease that only affects older people. It can strike much earlier – with life-changing repercussions

- Megan Davis

12 OCTOBER WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY

Severe pain, stiff joints, and swelling… arthritis is a condition that’s usually associated with ageing. But the debilitating disease can manifest in your twenties – or even younger. Some 27,000 people under 25 in the UK live with a form of it and many are so embarrassed or distressed by their situation they suffer in silence.

Emmerdale actress Claire King was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 28. “I struggled to go to work and do the things I love, like horse-riding, because of the terrible pressure it put on my knees,” she said, adding, “I can certainly relate to the ‘invisible disease’ – although my symptoms don’t always show, it doesn’t mean I’m not in pain or feeling exhausted.”

Grand Slam tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki was diagnosed at 27 after experiencing “extreme pain in my shoulders, elbows and hands”. She retired from the professional circuit at 29.