Bone and Joint Health National Awareness Week focuses on disorders like arthritis, back pain, osteoporosis and trauma. The events and projects organized by individuals and organizations worldwide are designed to raise awareness of prevention, disease management and treatments as well as advances in a number of areas.
Take a look at some facts that make Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week so important:
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Nearly half the American population over the age of 18 – about 48 percent – are affected by musculoskeletal (bone and joint) conditions, according to The Burden of Musculoskeletal Conditions in the United States.
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Research funding is currently less than 2 percent of the National Institutes of Health annual budget, despite the high costs associated with these conditions
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Unless actions are taken now, the global prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions is predicted to increase greatly due to increasing life expectancy, changes in risk factors and availability of appropriate prevention measures.
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Musculoskeletal conditions can lead to significant disability plus diminished productivity and quality of life. Treatment and lost wage costs associated with musculoskeletal diseases in the U.S. alone was estimated at $950 billion in 2004 to 2006 – equal to 7.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
For more information, visit the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative or e-mail usbji@usbji.org.