Understanding the problem

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as low back pain, arthritis and other diseases of the joints affect millions of people around the world and are one the leading causes of disability as identified in the Global Burden of Disease Study (http://www.healthdata.org/data-visualization/gbd-compare). However, these conditions are often not seen as a priority for public health and have not made it onto the global health agenda. The issue is often noted that musculoskeletal conditions do not have high mortality rates, but they limit people’s independence and prevent them doing their work. The burden is growing with ageing populations and lifestyle changes such as increasing obesity.

The 2019 Global Burden of Disease data showed that MSK conditions ranked highest globally in Years Lived with Disability (YLDs), increasing by 11% from 1990. When mortality is taken into account by estimating Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), musculoskeletal conditions ranked 6th highest globally and increased by 81% from 1990 to 2019.

Low back pain ranked highest in terms of global YLDs in 2019, and Other Musculoskeletal Conditions (a category that covers the remaining conditions excluding OA, RA, gout, low back pain and neck pain) ranked 5th in global DALYs, an increase of 44% from 1990. Neck pain ranked 12th in global YLDs and osteoarthritis 16th.

Many MSK conditions can be effectively prevented and controlled therefore reducing the pain and disability experienced by individuals across the world, yet they are often missed as international, regional and national policy makers decide on their priorities for investment. Without being assigned appropriate levels of priority MSK conditions result in avoidable disability.

The Global Alliance of Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC) is a network of researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience and policy makers who work together across the world to advocate for the inclusion of MSK conditions as a priority for policy makers across the globe.