If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis, you understand its debilitating effects. But did you know that arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States? Learn more about—and improve—your joint health with our handy list of joint facts:
360: Number of joints in the human body.
15: Number of joints in the hand, including the wrist. Each finger has three joints, and the thumbs each have two.
11: Number of weeks it takes for a fetus to develop joints in utero.
4: Types of joints in the human body. They are the hinge joint (such as the knee), the ball and socket joint (the hip), the pivot joint (the joint at the base of the skull), and the gliding joint (the wrist).
40-50: The age group in which onset rheumatoid arthritis is most common.
46 million: Number of Americans suffering from arthritis, an inflammation of the joints
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3: Amount of times more common rheumatoid arthritis is in smokers than non-smokers
127.8 billion: Amount of money that arthritis and other rheumatic conditions cost the United States in medical costs
50: percentage of people who may develop symptomatic knee onset arthritis by age 85 years.
93-95: Percentage of people who claim to experience an improved way of life 10 years after having a total knee replacement.
$9.4 billion: Amount of money spent annually in the US on prescription arthritis medications
20-26: Number of inches your upper body should be spaced from the computer monitor in order to ease tension on neck and shoulder joints.
2.5: Number of hours per week of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking, swimming, yoga, dancing, and bicycling) that the CDC recommends in order for arthritis sufferers to experience pain relief.
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78: Percentage of people who experienced significant joint pain relief by consuming a diet rich in raw foods and containing no grain or dairy products for one to three years, according to a study by the Alternative Medicine Review.
5-10: Percentage of decrease in body weight after which joint pain can be greatly reduced and some forms of arthritis can be prevented.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Academy for Guided Imagery, Health Magazine