CDC - Arthritis Home Page

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Be Active with Arthritis - Physical Activity. The Arthritis Pain Reliever

Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States, limiting the activities of nearly 21 million adults. The CDC Arthritis Program is working to improve the quality of life for people affected by arthritis and other rheumatic conditions by working with states and other partners to increase awareness about appropriate arthritis self management activities and expanding the reach of programs proven to improve the quality of life for people with arthritis. See Arthritis Spotlights on Science >>

Main Topics

About Our Program: Overview, Vision, Mission, Goals, Our Work...

Data & Statistics: Overview,; National,; State,; Costs,; Case Definition,; CDI,; FAQ's...

State Programs: Overview, Funded Programs and Contact, Information for State Coordinators…

Interventions: Physical Activity, Self-Management, Campaigns...

Policy/Partnerships: Partners, Policy Activities and Resources, Disparities Activities...

Arthritis Basics: Physical Activity, Risk Factors, Definition, Management, FAQ's...

Funded Science: Overview,; Current Projects,; Completed Projects...

Publications: Chronological, Topic-based,; MMWRs,; Healthy People,; Podcasts,; ...

Resources: Quick Stats, Government, Non-government...

Press Room: Information for media professionals...

Arthritis Spotlights

Picture of a book cover Public Health Agenda for Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Released. Experts in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and public health met to create a novel agenda for addressing these conditions from a population (public health) perspective. Read more about the agenda, psoriasis basics or the full report - [PDF - 380.44KB].

Picture of leg bone connected to the hip bone Differences in multijoint symptomatic osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, can affect many different joints in the body, and may be silent. Read more.

Picture of blue sky One-Third of US Adults with Arthritis have Anxiety or Depression. Findings from a newly released CDC report indicate that one third of US adults with arthritis 45 years and older have either anxiety or depression. Read more.

Picture of chair Arthritis Contributes to Physical Inactivity. No leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is much higher among adults with arthritis than those without arthritis. Read more.

Screenshot of Arthritis Pain Reliever Video Arthritis Pain Reliever. The Arthritis Pain Reliever video was created to help people with arthritis learn safe, appropriate exercise to relieve arthritis symptoms. Read more. Watch the video.

OA Spotlight Icon Osteoarthritis (OA) Action Alliance. The Osteoarthritis (OA) Action Alliance is a national coalition of concerned organizations mobilized by the Arthritis Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Person watching television on couch Arthritis as a Potential Barrier to Physical Activity Among Obese. CDC study shows that obese adults with arthritis were 44% more likely to be physically inactive compared with obese adults without arthritis.

Feet on a scale Obesity Trends in Adults with Arthritis. This report assesses changes in obesity prevalence among adults with arthritis from 2003 to 2009.

archive Previous Spotlight Items. Additional archived Spotlight articles...more.

Arthritis and YOU!

What should you do if you have arthritis or joint symptoms?

Data and Statistics

Physical activity by disease status United States 2005 and 2007

Joint friendly activities and available arthritis-specific exercise programs may help increase physical activity, which will help control both heart disease and arthritis.