Joint Pain and Arthritis

Chronic pain caused by arthritis affects millions of people in the United States every year. About one in four adults with arthritis-15 million people-report experiencing severe joint pain related to arthritis. Additionally, nearly half of adults with arthritis have persistent pain.

Children with arthritis have pain as well, but there is less population-based information about them.

Learn about arthritis-related severe joint pain in the United States, and recommended pain management strategies that can help people with arthritis control their pain.

Who is at Risk for Arthritis-Related Joint Pain?

Arthritis-related severe joint pain affects adults of all ages, both sexes, and all races and ethnicities. Most of what we know about severe joint pain is for adults. The age-standardized prevalence of severe joint pain among adults with arthritis varies by state, ranging from 20% in Utah to 46% in Mississippi.

From 2002 to 2014 in the United States, severe joint pain prevalence among adults with arthritis was:

• Higher among women (29.2%) than men (22.7%).
• Highest among adults aged 45 to 64 years (30.7%). Prevalence was the same for adults aged 18 to 44 years (24.9%) and adults aged 65 years or older (24.3%).
• Highest among non-Hispanic Blacks (42.3%), followed by Hispanics (35.8%), and non-Hispanic whites (23.1%).
• Severe joint pain is more common among adults with arthritis who also have other chronic conditions including diabetes (40.9%), heart disease (34.1%), and obesity (31.7%), and among adults with a disability (45.6%).
• More than half (56.3%) of adults with arthritis and serious psychological distress reported having severe joint pain.

Read more at: https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/pain/