One of the most common complaints Dr. Nikesh Seth addresses at Integrated Pain Consultants is back pain. That’s no surprise, given that the majority of adults experience some type of back pain in their life. It’s estimated that 80 percent of people will experience back pain, most often in the lower back. Some back pain is so severe that it’s debilitating and renders a person disabled. Lower back pain, or LBP, has increased in recent years—particularly for those over the age of 65.
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29 percent of adults have had lower back pain in the past three months. That’s up from 28.1 percent in the 1990s. However, today 33.7 percent of people 65+ have lower back pain compared to 29.5 percent in 1997.
Back pain, in general, is more common in women compared to men. The CDC has found that about 33 percent of adult women have lower back pain compared to just 25 percent of men. Although, it seems that the pain in men is more severe. Lower back pain is more likely to get in the way of their work.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) undertook a “Move Forward” Low Back Pain Survey and discovered that 31 percent of men say the pain affects their work, but the same is true for just 20 percent of women. Of course, pregnant women report much higher incidents of lower back pain than others. Around 50 percent of pregnant women report intense back pain according to researchers at the University of Michigan.
However, just because a person might struggle through a work day with back pain doesn’t mean the pain isn’t affecting other aspects of their life. About 33 percent of adults report that their pain disturbs daily activities, including sleep. Around 39 percent of people say back pain interferes with daily tasks, and 38 percent specifically note that their exercise regimen is compromised.
Safe help for back pain is available. Exact treatments depend on the patient, cause of the back pain, and severity. Contact Integrated Pain Consultants today to schedule your back pain consultation.