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Disease burden can be measured in many ways. This is particularly important for AORC, which has a modest effect on conveniently measured outcomes like mortality, but a much larger impact on less conveniently measured outcomes important to functionality for most people. Such outcomes include effects on work, health-related quality of life, independence, and ability to keep doing valued life activities. Three of these burdens, along with adverse life style factors that are associated with arthritis, are addressed in the estimates below.

Healthcare Utilization

Prevalence of AORC

While AORC occurs in children, it is difficult to acquire population data on them, so most of the estimates presented in this report are for adults unless otherwise noted.

Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Conditions

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this chapter are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions (AORC) comprise over 100 diseases. What most of them have in common is that they cause pain, aching, stiffness or swelling in or around a joint.

Definitions

Arthritis

Unmet Needs

One of the greatest unmet needs related to back pain is the ability to clearly diagnose the source of back pain. There are so many physical and non-physical sources of back pain that patients are often treated inappropriately before they are clearly diagnosed. Thousands of dollars are often spent on diagnostic evaluations without finding a clear source of back pain, a process that needs to be broken by earlier diagnosis, earlier definitive treatment, and maintenance of the ability to continue working.