37 Musculoskeletal Disorder Statistics

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These musculoskeletal disorder figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key Musculoskeletal Disorder Statistics

The main findings are:

  • Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide lived with musculoskeletal conditions in the GBD 2019-based WHO estimate.
  • In 2019, 58.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older experienced pain of any kind during the previous 3 months.
  • During 2019–2021, 53.2 million U.S. adults aged 18 or older, or 21.2%, reported diagnosed arthritis.
  • In 2021, 51.6 million U.S. adults, or 20.9%, experienced chronic pain defined as pain on most or every day during the previous 3 months.
  • In 2012, more than 40% of U.S. adults with a musculoskeletal pain disorder used a complementary health approach for any reason, compared with 24.1% of adults without one.
  • Private-industry employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the United States in 2023, down 8.4% from 2022 (United States private industry).
  • Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for approximately 149 million years lived with disability, or 17% of all years lived with disability worldwide, in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data.
  • In 2019, 39.0% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older reported back pain during the previous 3 months.
  • During 2019–2021, age-standardized diagnosed-arthritis prevalence was 20.9% among U.S. women and 16.3% among U.S. men.
  • In 2021, 17.1 million U.S. adults, or 6.9%, experienced high-impact chronic pain that substantially restricted daily activities.
  • In 2012, any complementary-health-approach use was 50.6% among U.S. adults with neck pain or problems, 43.0% among those with lower-back pain, and 40.9% among those with arthritic conditions.
  • Private-industry employers reported 946,500 nonfatal cases involving days away from work in 2023, a 20.1% decrease from 2022 (United States private industry).
  • Low back pain had approximately 570 million prevalent cases worldwide and was responsible for 7.4% of global years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary.
  • In 2019, 36.5% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older reported lower-limb pain in the hips, knees, or feet during the previous 3 months.
  • Adults aged 45 or older represented 88.3% of all U.S. adults with diagnosed arthritis during 2019–2021.

Contents

Global burden of musculoskeletal conditions

  • Approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide lived with musculoskeletal conditions in the GBD 2019-based WHO estimate. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for approximately 149 million years lived with disability, or 17% of all years lived with disability worldwide, in the WHO summary of GBD 2019 data. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Low back pain had approximately 570 million prevalent cases worldwide and was responsible for 7.4% of global years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Fractures affected approximately 440 million people worldwide and contributed about 26 million years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Osteoarthritis affected approximately 528 million people worldwide and contributed about 19 million years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Neck pain affected approximately 222 million people worldwide and contributed about 22 million years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis affected approximately 18 million people worldwide and contributed about 2.4 million years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • Gout affected approximately 54 million people worldwide and contributed about 1.7 million years lived with disability in the WHO GBD 2019 summary. (Musculoskeletal health)
  • A peer-reviewed GBD 2021 analysis estimated 1,686.56 million prevalent musculoskeletal-disorder cases globally in 2021, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 1,599.17–1,780.15 million. (Global, regional, and national burden…)
  • The same GBD 2021 analysis estimated 367.19 million new musculoskeletal-disorder cases worldwide in 2021, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 333.09–402.08 million. (Global, regional, and national burden…)
  • The same GBD 2021 analysis estimated 161.88 million disability-adjusted life years attributable to musculoskeletal disorders globally in 2021, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 118.02–216.15 million. (Global, regional, and national burden…)
  • The peer-reviewed analysis reported that global musculoskeletal-disorder prevalence in 2021 was 95% higher than in 1990 (1990–2021). (Global, regional, and national burden…)

WHO aggregates multiple conditions and reports an approximate estimate.

Aggregate estimate depends on the conditions included in the WHO/IHME definition.

This is a modeled burden estimate, not a count of clinical diagnoses.

Fracture estimates are one component of the broader musculoskeletal aggregate.

Modeled estimate; it should not be added to the overall total because component categories may not be mutually exclusive in all presentations.

Modeled estimate.

GBD model estimate; uncertainty interval reported by the study.

Study-reported modeled change over time.

Pain and musculoskeletal symptoms among U.S. adults

  • In 2019, 58.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older experienced pain of any kind during the previous 3 months. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, 39.0% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older reported back pain during the previous 3 months. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, 36.5% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older reported lower-limb pain in the hips, knees, or feet during the previous 3 months. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, 30.7% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older reported upper-limb pain in the hands, arms, or shoulders during the previous 3 months. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • U.S. adult back-pain prevalence in 2019 increased across age groups from 28.4% at ages 18–29 to 45.6% at ages 65 and older. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, back pain was reported by 40.6% of U.S. women and 37.2% of U.S. men aged 18 or older. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, lower-limb pain prevalence ranged from 21.0% among U.S. adults aged 18–29 to 50.3% among those aged 65 and older. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)
  • In 2019, upper-limb pain prevalence ranged from 16.2% among U.S. adults aged 18–29 to 42.0% among those aged 65 and older. (Back, Lower Limb, and Upper…)

NHIS household interview estimate for the civilian noninstitutionalized population; pain was reported on some, most, or every day.

NHIS self-report; location-specific pain allowed respondents to report more than one location.

NHIS self-report; lower-limb category is hips, knees, or feet.

NHIS self-report; upper-limb category is hands, arms, or shoulders.

NHIS self-report and cross-sectional age-group comparison.

NHIS self-report.

Lower limb means hips, knees, or feet; NHIS self-report.

Upper limb means hands, arms, or shoulders; NHIS self-report.

NHIS self-reported doctor or health-professional diagnosis; the 2019 survey redesign establishes a new baseline.

NHIS self-report and age-standardized subgroup estimates.

Based on self-reported diagnosed arthritis in NHIS.

Unadjusted prevalence; disability and arthritis were self-reported.

Chronic pain and activity limitation

  • In 2021, 51.6 million U.S. adults, or 20.9%, experienced chronic pain defined as pain on most or every day during the previous 3 months. (Chronic Pain Among Adults —…)
  • In 2021, 17.1 million U.S. adults, or 6.9%, experienced high-impact chronic pain that substantially restricted daily activities. (Chronic Pain Among Adults —…)
  • Between 2019 and 2021, U.S. adult chronic-pain prevalence ranged from 20.5% to 21.8% (2019–2021). (Chronic Pain Among Adults —…)
  • In 2021, age-adjusted high-impact chronic pain prevalence was 12.8% among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native U.S. adults and 2.1% among non-Hispanic Asian adults. (Chronic Pain Among Adults —…)
  • In 2021, age-adjusted high-impact chronic pain prevalence was 14.4% among U.S. adults with family income below 100% of the federal poverty level, compared with 3.5% among those at 400% or more. (Chronic Pain Among Adults —…)

NHIS civilian noninstitutionalized adult population; chronic pain is a symptom measure, not a diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorder.

NHIS definition required chronic pain plus life or work activity limitation on most or every day.

Annual NHIS estimates; the article reports a range rather than one pooled estimate.

NHIS subgroup estimates; differences are observational and do not establish causation.

NHIS self-reported income and pain; subgroup association is not causal.

Musculoskeletal pain treatment patterns

  • In 2012, more than 40% of U.S. adults with a musculoskeletal pain disorder used a complementary health approach for any reason, compared with 24.1% of adults without one. (Use of Complementary Health Approaches…)
  • In 2012, any complementary-health-approach use was 50.6% among U.S. adults with neck pain or problems, 43.0% among those with lower-back pain, and 40.9% among those with arthritic conditions. (Use of Complementary Health Approaches…)
  • In 2012, practitioner-based complementary approaches were used for any reason by 29.0% of U.S. adults with neck pain, 21.7% with lower-back pain, and 19.8% with sciatica. (Use of Complementary Health Approaches…)
  • In 2012, practitioner-based approaches were used specifically to treat the disorder by 8.9% of U.S. adults with sciatica, 8.9% with lower-back pain, and 7.9% with neck pain or problems. (Use of Complementary Health Approaches…)

NCHS report uses 2012 survey data and includes complementary approaches used for any reason, not necessarily treatment.

Use for any reason; disorder categories are based on survey responses.

Survey measure of use, not clinical effectiveness.

Self-reported treatment use; no outcome or efficacy inference.

Workplace injury context and limitations

This is an all-injury/all-illness benchmark, not a musculoskeletal-disorder-specific count.

All qualifying injuries and illnesses; the BLS release does not identify these cases as musculoskeletal disorders in this cited passage.

All qualifying injuries and illnesses, not a musculoskeletal-specific rate.

Industry-wide injury and illness context; not limited to musculoskeletal disorders.

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