According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, millions of people put up with chronic joint pain like arthritis. Early and aggressive treatment can reduce disability and permanent joint damage, yet an estimated 10.3 million people (one-fifth of adults with chronic joint problems) have not seen a health professional for their joint pain. Of this group, a whopping two million say their joint problems limit their activities. Results from this report appear in a recent issue of Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report from the CDC.

The nationwide telephone survey showed that lack of a personal doctor or health insurance kept a minority of people in the survey from getting help. Most people simply put up with their joint pain - perhaps because they think that it is not life-threatening, a normal part of aging, or because they mistakenly believe that there are no effective treatments.

Americans are urged to take their joint pain seriously and see a health professional at the earliest warning signs of arthritis to help avoid joint damage and disability.