Severe Arthritis Pain on the Rise in the U.S.

A recent federal study of state data has new findings relating to arthritis. It is reported that more Americans are suffering from severe pain, as per McKnight’s. Some states might benefit from interventions for arthritis diagnoses.

The data was obtained from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. In 49 states, the median prevalence of arthritis was 24 percent while it ranged from 18 to 36 percent in Washington D.C. It should be noted that rates were higher in Southeastern states and in the Appalachia.

As per Lindsey Duca, Ph.D., of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, adults who had arthritis also had high rates of physical inactivity, severe joint pain and fair and/or poor health status.

A median of 30 percent of participants who have been diagnosed with arthritis stated they were not physically active for the past 30 days. Compared to the 30 percent in 2015, in this recent study a median of 33 percent reported severe joint pain. States with highest rates of pain include Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Researchers believe the levels of physical inactivity, self-rated health statuses and arthritis-related joint pain all impact each other. They are urging health officials and clinicians to pay attention to these rising numbers. They stated, “This interplay represents an opportunity for concentrating efforts to increase promotion and use of evidence-based nonpharmacologic public health interventions in these states.”