Low Back Pain – Worlds Number One Disability

Published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, lower back pain is the top cause for years lost due to disability. About one in ten people suffer from lower back pain, and prevalence is highest in western Europe and lowest in the Caribbean and Latin America. The world’s growing population of elderly means people are living longer with pain.

Besides lost productivity and years of life, chronic back pain’s major problem is how to treat it. There are standard pain killers, heat or ice application, and even surgery in severe cases. Some people prefer acupuncture or even more intensive medication like opioids–which raises addiction concerns. Being sedentary is thought to be one of the causes of back pain, so one the most effective treatments long-term appears to be exercise.

Weston Chiropractic

There’s no magic bullet to prevent the onset of lower back pain, especially if it’s brought on by age, but there are ways to keep the changes at bay: for instance, getting regular physical activity and making sure kids don’t wear backpacks overloaded with heavy school books–kids regularly go to the emergency room for backpack-related injuries.

Fortunately, Chiropractic care and exercise are two great approaches that have been proven to help those with back pain. Chiropractic adjustments ensure your spinal joints are moving optimally, and exercise helps to strengthen your muscles to support the spine. When you have a spine that is moving properly and is supported by strong muscles, your incidence of back pain drops dramatically. Goertz et al. (2013), Spine