The burden of low back and neck pain worldwide is staggering. When you look at the rates of incidence, the prevalence, and the overall cost of spine pain, it’s all pretty unbelievable. In April, I took Part A of The McKenzie Institute’s Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy course, which covers the lumbar spine. The course discusses the overall burden of low back pain. The data is something I’m familiar with and have seen it presented in a few different courses and seminars. So, it’s not exactly a surprise to me to see these numbers. But I think it would be a shock for most people to see just how costly back and spine pain is.
Low back and neck pain are the leading causes of global disability. Low back pain is ranked 6th globally in terms of overall burden. It is one of the costliest diseases and accounts for 25-30% of direct societal healthcare costs. Risks factors vary quite a bit and there is no consistent evidence as to the largest predictor of back pain. Roughly 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Again, the data is pretty staggering.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom though. There is more research coming out year after year recommending conservative healthcare as the first line of defense when treating back pain. This includes chiropractic, massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture to name a few. Clinical practice guidelines are moving away from opioids, spinal injections, and surgery, and moving towards increased movement, exercise therapy, self-management, remaining active, and patient education addressing psychosocial factors.
What we can offer as alternative healthcare providers has been generally proven to be the most cost effective and have the best outcomes. Now with that in mind there is a time and place for everything. There is a time and place for prescription medication, injections, and surgery. But more often than not, it should be a last ditch effort as opposed to the first intervention.
If you’re experiencing low back or neck pain, schedule an appointment with me to discuss your treatment options.
