According to a new international study that was published in The Lancet Journal, across the globe, musculoskeletal disease is the number one cause of disability.
The biggest cause of disability across the world was back pain, while osteoarthritis was the fastest growing cause of disability. Georgia Social Security disability lawyers find that conditions like arthritis and back pain dramatically reduce a person’s ability to return to his job, increasing his dependence on disability benefits.
The findings of the study are being promoted by the Bone and Joint Decade, which is an international initiative to raise awareness about the severe cost of musculoskeletal conditions. The initiative is aimed at making these conditions a public health priority in many countries.
This is the first time that there has been a comprehensive investigation of the global impact of musculoskeletal diseases and conditions. The study found that conditions like arthritis and back pain are widespread in the global population, affecting as many as 1.7 billion people across the globe. In fact, these conditions are so serious that they have a severe impact on overall public health.
The impact of these conditions has grown by approximately 45% over the last 2 decades alone, and is expected to grow further. The negative consequences of these conditions and the overwhelming impact on disability are expected to grow over the next few decades. This situation will not change unless there’s a change in the public mindset that treats these conditions as an inevitable consequence of working in certain jobs, and fails to prioritize their treatment and diagnosis.
Lisa Siegel is a Georgia Social Security disability lawyer helping persons with disabilities in the metro Atlanta region recover their rightful disability benefits. If you are eligible for Social Security, and have had a claim denied, speak with Lisa to learn your rights.