Arthritis is one of the most commonly-cited causes of Social Security disability claims in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 58 million Americans suffer from arthritis.
More than 23 million American arthritis sufferers above the age of 18 suffer from some physical limitations as a result of their condition. In Georgia, between 32% and 39% of adults with arthritis also report physical limitations that make it difficult for them to go to work.
Joint pain remains one of the most common symptoms of arthritis. This makes it difficult for a person to perform physical work. In some cases, the pain can be severe enough to prevent the person from performing even routine physical tasks. In the state of Georgia between 30% and 34% of adults with arthritis also report joint pain.
Joint pain is not the only disabling condition that prevents arthritis sufferers in Georgia from going to work. Other symptoms may include stiffness, swelling and inflammation which may decrease range of movement in the affected joint. This makes performing manual tasks extremely difficult. All of these factors combined together make it very difficult for an arthritis sufferer to perform manual tasks, ruling out many jobs that involve even normal physical activities.