Arthritis, The Most Common Cause of New England Disability Claims

Do you suffer from arthritis? You are not alone. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue are listed as the number one cause of disability in the Social Security Administration's "blue book" of payouts in 2010. A whopping total of 30.3% of disability recipients received monthly benefits for arthritis and related conditions like osteoporosis, muscular dystrophy, and Lupus.

The Arthritis Foundation lists three main types of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis is also called osteoarthrosis, or degenerative joint disease. A chronic condition, osteoarthritis causes a joint's cartilage to break down. The bones then rub together and stiffness and pain result.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Also a chronic disease, rheumatoid arthritis causes the joints' lining to become inflamed. Eventually this disease can become disabling, as the joints become permanently damaged, lose their function and become extremely painful.
• Juvenile Arthritis: When a child aged 16 or younger contracts any form of arthritis, it is called juvenile arthritis. Up to 300,000 children suffer from this disease in the US. Juvenile, or pediatric, arthritis includes any autoimmune or inflammatory condition.

Who contracts arthritis? According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), just about anyone can become arthritic. 50 million, or about one in five adults in the United States, have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. In addition, juvenile arthritis affects one in every 250 children. More women than men have arthritis, and the disease strikes all ethnic and racial groups. Two thirds of victims are aged 65 or under.

The CDC also reports that arthritis causes activity limitations for about 21 million adults each year. Among working age citizens (18-64 years), 5.3%, or almost seven million, report limitations in their work due to arthritis.

With this information we can see that arthritis causes many Americans many problems. If you are one of these sufferers, and are finding it impossible to do the work you once did, you may have considered applying for disability. Or perhaps you have applied and been denied, yet your condition continues to worsen.

Don't wait for the overworked SSA system to answer your request for help. Contact an experienced and trustworthy advisor to help you. Keefe Disability Law specializes in cases just like yours. Order a copy of one of our free books to learn more or call us today toll free at 888-904-6847 for a free case review.