Arthritis - Women in Maine

Maine

Arthritis is a general term that describes over 100 conditions that cause inflammation or swelling of the joints. Many adults with arthritis also experience limitations in daily activities such as walking, standing, sitting, bending, kneeling, reaching and gripping, making arthritis a leading cause of workplace disability. Common symptoms of arthritis include pain, redness, heat or swelling of the joints. More than a quarter of adults with diagnosed arthritis experience severe and chronic symptoms.

Some types of arthritis, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, are more prevalent among women than men. By 2040, projections estimate that 78.4 million adults in the United States will be living with arthritis, two-thirds of them women.

The total medical costs associated with arthritis in the U.S. are $460 billion.

Risk factors for arthritis include smoking, obesity or overweight, a history of joint injury or infection and performing a job that requires a lot of repetitive bending or squatting.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of arthritis is higher among: 

• Women ages 35-44 compared with younger women. 
• American Indian/Alaska Native, multiracial, and white women compared with Asian, Hispanic and Black women.
• Women who did not graduate from college compared with college graduates.
• Women with annual household incomes less than $25,000 compared with those who have incomes of $75,000 or more.
• Women living in nonmetropolitan areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.
• Women who have difficulty with mobility or self-care compared with women who do not have a disability.
• LGBQ+ women compared with straight women.
• Women who have served in the U.S. armed forces compared with those who have not served.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women who have never given birth may be at increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis, while women who breastfeed their infants appear to have decreased risk.

Strategies to reduce the risk of arthritis include maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity and protecting yourself from joint injuries. For those with arthritis, staying physically active can alleviate joint pain and improve quality of life. Low-impact exercises that are easy on the joints include walking, biking and swimming. 

Although there is no cure for arthritis, common treatments include medications that can slow the progression of the disease, as well as treatments for pain. Non-medication pain management tools and strategies include massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Joint replacement surgery is also an option for some when other treatments have been unsuccessful.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to arthritis, including:

• Reducing the proportion of adults with arthritis who have moderate or severe joint pain.
• Reducing the proportion of adults with arthritis whose arthritis limits their work.
• Reducing the proportion of adults whose arthritis limits their activities.
• Increasing the proportion of adults with arthritis who receive counseling for physical activity.

Barbour, Kamil E., Michael Boring, Charles G. Helmick, Louise B. Murphy, and Jin Qin. “Prevalence of Severe Joint Pain Among Adults with Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis — United States, 2002–2014.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 65, no. 39 (October 7, 2016): 1052–56. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6539a2.

Barbour, Kamil E., Charles G. Helmick, Michael Boring, and Teresa J. Brady. “Vital Signs: Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation — United States, 2013–2015.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 66, no. 9 (March 10, 2017): 246–53. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6609e1.

Chen, Haiyan, Jing Wang, Wang Zhou, Huabin Yin, and Meimei Wang. “Breastfeeding and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis.” The Journal of Rheumatology 42, no. 9 (September 1, 2015): 1563–69. https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.150195.

Hootman, Jennifer M., Charles G. Helmick, Kamil E. Barbour, Kristina A. Theis, and Michael A. Boring. “Updated Projected Prevalence of Self-Reported Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation Among US Adults, 2015-2040.” Arthritis & Rheumatology 68, no. 7 (July 2016): 1582–87. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.39692.

Lo, Jessica, Leighton Chan, and Spencer Flynn. “A Systematic Review of the Incidence, Prevalence, Costs, and Activity and Work Limitations of Amputation, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Back Pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A 2019 Update.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 102, no. 1 (January 2021): 115–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2020.04.001.

Theis, Kristina A., Douglas W. Roblin, Charles G. Helmick, and Ruiyan Luo. “Prevalence and Causes of Work Disability among Working-Age U.S. Adults, 2011–2013, NHIS.” Disability and Health Journal 11, no. 1 (January 1, 2018): 108–15.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.04.010.