Statistics of Back Pain
Low back pain accounts for the fifth most common cause of visits to the doctor’s office. 10 to 30% of adults in the United States experience low back pain every year, and in 1998, it led to $26.3 million spent on healthcare costs.
Low back pain represents 97% of the total cases of back pain, and more than 500 million people globally have experienced this symptom for over three months, according to data published in 2018. This points out a significant increase in the prevalence of this ailment, which is expected to continue increasing and become a prevalent source of disability among aging patients.
Most patients with back pain are older adults. However, it is becoming a common source of pain in young people, too. Young adults and even children are adopting a poor posture and using their computers and mobile phones in an awkward position, which ultimately triggers back pain at a premature age. This may respond to the rising back pain trend in younger populations not yet affected by degenerative changes in their intervertebral discs. Prevention is essential in this age group, mainly because the early onset of back pain is associated with worse symptoms as patients’ age.