"When you have pain, it doesn't really matter where it is, hands, knees, hips — when you have pain it's very fatiguing," said Lisa Fall, president of the Utah/Idaho chapter of the National Arthritis Foundation. "It can cause a cycle of you not being able to do what you're used to being able to do."

The Utah/Idaho chapter works to improve the quality of life for those with arthritis through programs and services and raises money to help fund arthritis research.

Another resource in Utah is the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray. The hospital and clinic sees almost 3,500 Utahns each month for services ranging from total joint replacement surgery to physical therapy. Roger Petersen, director of physical therapy at the hospital, estimated that 25 percent of their patients come for arthritis-related issues.

"This is a big issue for society in general," he said. "There are a lot of surgeries, a lot of medications, a lot of dollars spent on this."

---

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com