Most people with a musculoskeletal condition, such as arthritis or back pain, also have at least one other chronic disease. This report shows that almost 4 in 5 (79%) people with arthritis and 2 in 3 (65%) people with back pain and problems had at least 1 other chronic condition. More than half (54%) the hospitalisations for musculoskeletal conditions involved at least 1 other chronic condition.