This answer may be surprising to many readers.   However, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), arthritic conditions affect approximately
	46 million (1 in 5) residents within the U.S.A.   [Source: CDC  2009]
	This statistic, drawn from the “National Health Interview Survey,” reflects
	the following prevalence rates for a variety of rheumatological / skeletal
	conditions  [Source:  Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2008]
	Osteoarthritis                             27 million
	Fibromyalgia                                  5 million
	Gout                                              3 to 6 million
	Rheumatoid arthritis                       3 million
	Primary sjogren’s  syndrome        1.3 million
	Polymyalgia rheumatica              711,000
	Spondyloarthritdes                       639,000 to 2.4 million
	ankylosing spondylitis,
	reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis
	enteropathic arthritis
	Juvenile RA                                      294,000
	Giant Cell Arteritis                             228,000
	Systemtic  lupus                                      161,000 to 322,000
	Systemic  sclerosis (scleroderma)               49,000
	Oddballs:              carpal tunnel           1 to 10 million
	low back pain within past 3 months           59 million
	neck pain in past 3 months                     30 million