The number of individuals affected by joint pain and arthritis in the United States is on the rise, according to recent research published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
For the study, CDC researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey collected from 2002 to 2014. The survey is an annual, nationally representative questionnaire on the health status and behaviors of the U.S. adult population.
Researchers found that in 2002, 10.5 million people in the U.S. reported experiencing severe joint pain. In 2014, that number jumped to 14.6 million. The research team also determined this trend is likely to persist, predicting more than 78 million people in the U.S. will be affected by severe joint pain by 2040.
As opioid abuse and overdoses continue to plague the nation at epidemic rates, the researchers offered recommendations for Americans to responsibly and effectively address their pain burdens.
"There is insufficient evidence for and serious risks associated with long-term use of opioid therapy to treat chronic pain," the report's authors wrote. "Healthcare providers and public health practitioners can begin to implement the recommendations and improve pain care among adults with arthritis and severe joint pain by prioritizing self-management education and appropriate physical activity interventions as effective nonpharmacologic ways to reduce pain and improve health outcomes."
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