Over 80% of people will have back pain at some point in their life.
Chiropractic care is often and most commonly associated with back pain, and it is often a patient’s first introduction to chiropractic. Back pain can be very debilitating affecting all aspects of work and personal life. If you suffer from back pain, you are definitely not alone. Here are some facts about back pain that may or may not surprise you.
- Back pain is the number one disability for those under age 45.
- In the United States of America alone, there is an expected 31 million people with lower back pain at any given time.
- Back pain runs second, after only the common cold, as the top reason for visiting a healthcare provider in the United States.
- Experts place the likelihood of any person to experience some type of back problem in their lifetime at about 80%. That’s four out of every five people!
- Over 50 billion dollars are spent per year in the pursuit of clearing up cases of back pain.
- Around 30 to 40 percent of all workplace absences are due to back pain.
- Approximately one quarter of U.S. adults reported having low back pain lasting at least one whole day in the past three months, and 7.6 percent reported at least one episode of severe acute low back pain within a one-year period.
- One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
- Approximately 2 percent of the U.S. work force is compensated for back injuries each year
- Lower back pain accounts for two thirds of all back pain-related cases.
- More than two-thirds of back strains are caused by lifting and other exertions like pulling and pushing.
- Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
Understanding the cause of back pain is the key to being able to properly treat it. Remember, pain is usually a sign that something else is wrong and if continually ignored may lead to more serious harm. As chiropractors, we are experts in assessing and finding the cause of your back pain and putting you on the course to recovery
