Prevalence of rheumatic diseases as causes of disability and complaints by ambulatory patients.

Data from the National Health Survey reveal that musculoskeletal diseases are the most prevalent cause of chronic disability among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population. Because of the frequency of musculoskeletal injuries, rheumatic disorders are the second most common cause of acute disability. Problems referable to the musculoskeletal system constitute the second most frequent class of complaints presented by patients to office-based physicians. Only respiratory and circulatory diagnoses are recorded more often by such physicians.