According to an analysis, lower back pain is the most common cause of disability worldwide. According to the study, 2020 million people worldwide suffered from lower back pain in 619. Risk factors for this are the ergonomics of the workplace, obesity and smoking, writes an international research team in the journal "The Lancet Rheumatology". In 2050, more than 840 million people worldwide could suffer from such complaints.
As early as 2018, scientists reported in "The Lancet" that more than half a billion people around the globe suffer from lower back pain. This fits with data from Germany: For example, a sample from the Robert Koch Institute in 2021 showed that more than two-thirds of respondents were affected by back pain, with the vast majority of them citing pain in the lower spine.
The current analysis estimates the prevalence of such complaints for the period 1990 to 2020 and the number of years that the general population in 204 countries and regions lives with this back pain. According to the study, 2020 million people worldwide were affected in 619. Compared to 1990, there were more people overall, but adjusted for age, the number fell by about ten percent during the period.
Age-standardised pain occurred most frequently in Hungary and the Czech Republic, and least frequently in the Maldives and Myanmar. Regardless of country and region, more women than men were affected in all age groups, with the differences between the sexes being more pronounced from the age of 75. Overall, back pain was most common in people over the age of 85.
The authors also examined the burden of disease caused by this pain and calculated the number of years of life spent with health restrictions. According to the study, lower back pain is the most common cause of years of life in poorer health globally: 69 million such years of life were accounted for in 2020.
Two-fifths of these are due to three risk factors. These include ergonomic factors in the workplace – such as frequent lifting of heavy loads, prolonged standing or awkward sitting positions – as well as obesity and smoking. In fact, studies show a link between tobacco use and chronic back pain. It is suspected that the blood vessel-constricting effect of nicotine promotes arteriosclerosis and thus a poorer supply of bones, intervertebral discs and back muscles.
High costs and many years of life spent in pain
Due to the expected growth and aging of the population, the authors predict that the number of people affected will grow to just over 840 million people over the next three decades: "By 2050, the total number of cases of lower back pain is expected to increase by 36.4 percent worldwide, with the largest increase in Asia and Africa."
The high prevalence worldwide is already a cause for concern. For example, between 2012 and 2014, the total direct costs for all patients with spinal disorders in the United States amounted to 315 billion US dollars. "Also, there has been a significant increase in the number of prescription drugs for spinal disorders in Australia in recent years, with opioids being the most commonly prescribed class of drugs for back pain," it added. After all, this pain would also have economic consequences - especially for people of working age. In chronic form, they could lead to early retirement.
This makes targeted measures for back health all the more important. These include better workplaces, more effective therapies and prevention programmes for certain population groups, such as the elderly. "Global strategies to reduce the number of new cases of low back pain and associated disability are critical."