Frontman Geddy Lee reveals drummer Peart's tendinitis in his arm and guitarist Lifeson's battle with arthritis could force the trio to stop playing live.

He tells Classic Rock magazine, "For Alex, the arthritis is not a small thing. If anything it's going to mean we can't tour any more like we used to.

"If I was going out onstage and I couldn't play the way I want to, or the way I've played in the past, there's no way I'd want to do it. I wouldn't want to go out there and be a shadow of my former self."

And the singer really feels for longtime pal Lifeson, adding, "It kind of hurts me to see him when he's having a bad day, physically. He's one of my oldest and dearest friends, and when he's been at rehearsal and he's not playing his best, it's not nice to see your friend suffer like that. This thing is in the back of his mind, and he's afraid of it."

Lifeson admits his arthritis is a real burden, but he insists it's bandmate Peart who really struggles onstage.

He explains, "I've had it (arthritis) for 10 years and this is the first time I'm really feeling it in my hands and my feet. It's a lot harder for Neil. He's got tendinitis in his arm. To be honest, I don't know how he gets through playing the way he does, being in that sort of discomfort and pain.

"(He) probably would have quit years ago if he didn't feel that he owed something to us."