According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 report, there will be over 800 million cases of low back pain in 2050, a 36% increase from 2020.
This is because of population growth, aging, and a lack of a systematic strategy to back pain therapy and restricted therapeutic alternatives.
Analysis of over 30 years of data shows that the number of cases of low back pain is increasing, with modeling predicting that by 2050, 843 million people will be affected by the condition, owing mostly to population growth and aging.
Researchers are concerned that the prolonged lack of a systematic strategy to back pain therapy and limited treatment alternatives will lead to a healthcare crisis, as low back pain is the top cause of disability worldwide.
By 2050, there will be a roughly 50% increase in cases in Australia, with Asia and Africa experiencing the most significant increases.
“Our analysis paints a picture of growing low back pain cases globally, putting enormous pressure on our healthcare system. We need to establish a national, consistent approach to managing low back pain informed by research.” said lead author Professor Manuela Ferreira from Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, an initiative of the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District, and Northern Sydney Local Health District.
Based at Sydney’s Kolling Institute, Professor Ferreira said, “Currently, how we have been responding to back pain has been reactive. Australia is a global leader in back pain research; we can be proactive and lead by example on back pain prevention.”
The report indicates various milestones in back pain cases, such as cases reaching more than half a billion individuals in 2020 and the disability load linked with back pain being attributable to occupational variables, smoking, and being overweight.
There will be around 619 million cases of back discomfort in 2020.
Occupational variables, smoking, and being overweight all contributed to at least one-third of the disability burden associated with back pain.
A common misunderstanding is that low back pain primarily affects working-age individuals.
However, the researchers claim this study has proved that low back pain is more common in elderly persons.
Low back pain is more common in elderly adults and more common in women than in men.
They are now reactively responding to back discomfort. Australia is a global leader in back pain research and can be proactive and set an example in preventing back pain.
“We also know that most available data come from high-income countries, making it sometimes hard to interpret these results for low to mid-income countries. We urgently need more population-based back pain and musculoskeletal data from countries of low to mid-income.” said senior author Professor Lyn March from Sydney Musculoskeletal Health and the Kolling Institute.
A new study analysed GBD data from 1990 to 2020 from over 204 countries and territories to map the landscape of back pain cases over time.
It provides the most comprehensive picture of mortality and disability across countries, time, age, and gender, and it is the first study to be used to predict the future prevalence of back pain cases.
Because there are effective strategies to treat people in pain, health systems must respond to the growing burden of low back pain and ensure prompt access to therapy.
“Ministries of health cannot continue ignoring the high prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain. These conditions have important social and economic consequences, especially considering the cost of care. Now is the time to learn about effective strategies to address the high burden and to act.” said Dr. Alarcos Cieza, Unit Head, World Health Organization, Headquarters, Geneva.
They made recommendations, particularly regarding exercise and education, about the need for global policy to address the best method to prevent and manage low back pain.
The most essential points in this article are inconsistency in how health practitioners address back pain situations and that the healthcare system must adjust.
According to CQUniversity co-author Dr Katie de Luca, if the proper steps are not done, low back pain can become a forerunner to chronic health disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, invasive medical treatments, and considerable impairment. Low back pain is the leading cause of disability burden worldwide, and its physical and psychological impact directly jeopardizes healthy aging.
Researcher said, “It may surprise some that current clinical guidelines for back pain treatment and management do not provide specific recommendations for older people.”
He also said, “Older people have more complex medical histories and are more likely to be prescribed strong medication, including opioids for back pain management, compared to younger adults. But this is not ideal and can have a negative impact on their function and quality of life, especially as these analgesics may interfere with their other existing medications. This is just one example of why we need to update clinical guidelines to support our health professionals.”
According to CQUniversity co-author Dr Katie de Luca, if the proper steps are not done, low back pain can become a forerunner to chronic health disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, invasive medical treatments, and considerable impairment.3
Low back pain continues to be the greatest cause of disability burden worldwide. This condition has substantial socio-economic consequences, and the physical and personal impact directly threatens healthy aging.
Journal Reference:
- Manuela Ferreira et al. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990–2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.The Lancet Rheumatology. DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00098-X