Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Research
Burden of disease
Patient-led research delivering lasting and meaningful improvements For Cate Cameron, it is difficult to put into words the impact of her condition. She lives with rheumatoid arthritis with a lupus overlap, which she says has reshaped her life. Cate says it is not a condition that you can put on pause or plan around. “It is always there, affecting how I move, how I work, and how I connect with the world,” she said. “There were so many times when I felt invisible and unheard, watching everybody else move forward, having children, buying houses, while I was just trying to live and function on even the most basic level. “For nearly ten years, my condition was uncontrolled, and every day felt like managing chaos inside my own body. “Even the simplest things that most people take for granted, like turning on a tap became difficult. The physical pain was terrible, but the emotional toll was something else entirely. “The sense of isolation was overwhelming. I felt trapped, with no escape from living in my own body.” Cate has lived with her condition for 14 years and spent many years trialling different approaches. She says her condition became more controlled after leading rheumatologist and Kolling researcher Professor Lyn March took over as her specialist. “Previously, I had often felt unheard and unseen by doctors,” she said.
More than 7 million (30%) Australians live with chronic musculoskeletal conditions including arthritis, back pain and osteoporosis
Musculoskeletal conditions account for 13% of the total disease burden in Australia
Australia spends $9.2 billion on healthcare for musculoskeletal conditions each year
More than half of people aged over 65 years live with a disability
Living with injury – which often requires rehabilitation services – accounts for just over half of the overall disease burden in Australia.
20 Kolling Institute Health Research Strategy 2026-2030
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