2023-05-25 20:00:00
A pandemic has been simmering in recent years, warns a new study recently published in the specialized magazine The Lancet Rheumatology. The good news – the only one – is that it is not an infectious disease caused by a virus or bacteria. The bad news is that it currently affects 620 million people and, according to data, it is expected that during the next 3 decades, by the year 2050, it will affect almost 10% of the world population: it is low back pain.
By 2050, a 36.4% increase in cases of low back pain is projected
The studyconducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, shows that older people are particularly at risk, as they the prevalence of low back pain increases with age and peaks at the age of 85 years.
“From a health care perspective, clinical practice guidelines in most countries lack specific recommendations on how to care for an older person with low back pain. The elderly are the most vulnerable population to this condition”, explains the professor at the University of Sydney, Manuela Ferreiralead author of the study.
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
According to data, in 2020, low back pain caused a total of 69 million years lived with disability -YLD, for its acronym in English- throughout the world. The YLD is an indicator of years lived in less than ideal health. This is a measure that has been experiencing a percentage decrease worldwide since the 1990s, but which, however, when it comes to back pain, has only increased, ranking as the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Among the main risk factors for low back pain identified in the study are: obesity and occupational ergonomic factors, that is, the posture adopted, as well as the execution of repetitive and fast movements or the heavy load handling in the work environment, factors that would be the direct cause of 40% of cases of low back pain.
Low back pain, a global ailment
The number of cases of low back pain varies by geographic region, causes, and age. According to the data provided, taken locally, regionally and internationally between 1990 and 2020 in 204 different countries and territories, lhe nations with the highest rates of low back pain by age are Hungary and the Czech Republic. The countries with the lowest rates, Myanmar and Maldives.
By 2050, the research also projects an increase in the incidence of low back pain worldwide of 36.4%, which will affect 843 million people, mostly in Asia and Africa. Most of this increase will be driven by population growth, except in East and South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, where the reason is expected to be increased life expectancy.
“The social and economic impact of low back pain is enormous. It implies both a decrease in the quality of life, a loss of productivity in the work environment and a dependence on pain-relieving drugs”, explains the doctor for her part. Jaimie Steinmetz, IHME Managing Research Scientist. “Our research shows the need for new and better public health prevention strategies, especially for the elderly,” he continues. “In addition, pFor working-age populations, low back pain forces more people to leave their jobs than any other chronic health condition, so we hope that lhe global data from our study can help policymakers and health care providers develop or improve prevention strategies,” he concludes.
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