Bone and Joint Health National Action Week

Bone and Joint National Action week is held annually October 12th - 20th. This week focuses on raising awareness about prevention, disease management, and treatment of arthritis, back pain, acute trauma, pediatric conditions, and osteoporosis, which all affect the bones and joints.

Some quick facts!

• More than half the American population over the age of 18 - 54 percent - are affected by musculoskeletal (bone and joint) conditions, according to The Burden of Musculoskeletal Conditions in the United States.(1)
• One in three (33%) people over the age of 18 required medical care for a musculoskeletal condition in each of the years 2009 to 2011, a 19% increase over the last decade.(2)
• Bone and joint conditions are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability worldwide affecting hundreds of millions of people.(3)
• Musculoskeletal conditions include back pain, arthritis, traumatic injuries, osteoporosis, spinal deformity, and childhood conditions.
• The global prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions is predicted to increase greatly due to increasing life expectancy and changes in risk factors unless new treatments and preventive measures are found.
• 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 $874 billion in 2009 to 2011 - equal to 5.73 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).(2)
• Research funding is currently less than 2 percent of the National Institutes of Health annual budget, and continues to decline each year despite the high costs associated with injuries, arthritis, and back pain.
• Since 2011, when "Baby Boomers" became beneficiaries of Medicare, the economic and societal cost of bone and joint health escalated and is expected to continue for decades.

Now is the time to raise awareness - and the reason for Bone and Joint Action Week.

(1) United States Bone and Joint Initiative: The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States. Rosemont, IL; 2014. http://www.boneandjointburden.org/2014-report/ib0/prevalence-select-medical-conditions. Accessed July 9, 2015.

(2) United States Bone and Joint Initiative: The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States. Rosemont, IL; 2014. http://www.boneandjointburden.org/2014-report/if0/health-care-utilization-and-economic-cost. Accessed July 9, 2015.

(3) Woolf AD, Pfleger B. Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2003;81:646-656.

There are five special days during Action Week.

Specifically, each day of this week is a special day highlighting a particular disease:

October 12 - World Arthritis Day

October 16 - World Spine Day

October 17 - World Trauma Day

October 19 - World Pediatric Bone and Joint (PB&J) Day

October 20 - World Osteoporosis Day

Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of bone and joint trauma or disorders plays an important role in long term recovery and quality of life. With our amazing physical therapists, quality chiropractors, and cutting edge OrthoBiologics treatments, QOMC specializes in the treatment of many of these diseases so we're proud to join in spreading the word about this important action week. 

For more information about how we can help you with any bone and joint disorders or trauma, please call 301-762-6866. We’ll see you soon!