Eye-Opening Back Pain Facts and Statistics

If you’re currently dealing with back pain, then you’re one of the nearly 31 million Americans experiencing this condition. The American Chiropractic Association states that you can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, all of which can lead to back pain. We tend to associate sports injuries or accidents as the primary culprits of back pain, but even the simplest of movements can throw us out of whack. Not to mention, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can complicate back pain. If you’ve undergone kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss, back pain may also be prevalent.

Take into account a few interesting facts regarding back pain:

Lower back pain remains the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease, 2010.
Have you missed work because your back pain was simply unbearable? Well, you aren’t alone. Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office.
Nearly half of all working Americans admit to suffering from back pain symptoms annually.
Experts believe that up to 80 percent of the U.S. population will experience discomfort in their back at one point or another.
Though the pain may be insufferable at times, you can take comfort in the fact that most root causes of back pain do not stem from serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture, or cancer.
Maybe the most shocking of the statistics is that Americans spend approximately $50 billion each year on back pain. Over-the-counter pain medications take up a good chunk of that.

What a Back Pain Specialist Can Do For You

As chiropractic care continues to gain traction, so too does the number of people contacting their local wellness clinic for relief. Spinal manipulation, a safe and effective treatment option, reduces overall pain, rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires little to no downtime. The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality recommended chiropractic care as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute lower back problems in adults. It’s safe to say that a chiropractor may be your best option when it comes to finding lasting relief.

How to Prevent Back Pain

Take control of not only your back pain but also your lifestyle. Here are some good starting points:

Maintain a healthy diet and weight. This also means staying active and exercising regularly.
Warm up and stretch prior to exercising.
Maintain proper posture, particularly at your workplace where it can be difficult.
Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve that may be in your spine. A good rule of thumb is to change your mattress every eight years.
Quit smoking. Of course, quitting smoking helps your overall health, but it also can eliminate back pain. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
Read our blog on Back Pain Prevention Tips

Call our Chiropractor

At Northern Nevada Chiropractic in Reno, we have a team of chiropractors whose goal is to help you discover true health and optimal wellness. Get started with our wellness clinic by scheduling a comprehensive consultation today.