Back Pain knows no borders and, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lower Back Pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide; in 2020 it was reported that 619 million people suffered from lower back pain, and that number is expected to rise to 843 million by 2050. That's a 36.4% rise and, according to a study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, it is projected that the highest increases will be in Asia and Africa in the years to come, so we need more affordable, convenient and effective solutions to help the world cope with the burden of back pain - if people want manual practitioners, they will be waiting a long time.
Yet, despite the strides in technology and medicine, back care is often ignored when it comes to policy and innovation, which begs the question: why?
Back Pain doesn't announce its arrival with fanfare; it’s a silent assassin that strikes without warning. Manifesting as twinges, spasms, or aches, it starts subtly but can escalate into a full-blown crisis if ignored.
Before we get into it, since we are mostly focusing on lower back pain, it is important to point out that it comes in two different varieties: specific and non-specific.
Specific LBP is pain that is caused by a certain disease or structural problem in the spine, or when the pain radiates from another part of the body.
Non-specific LBP is when it isn’t possible to identify a specific disease or structural reason to explain the pain. LBP is non-specific in about 90% of cases.
Have you ever watched a film where a group of submariners are watching the radar screen as it tries to locate nearby objects? There is a constant beep and then, when something comes near, it beeps a bit differently and everyone goes to their stations to address the new reality. Unfortunately, there isn’t any such device for locating new symptoms of back pain so you need to become your own detection system.
Here are some common early signs of lower back pain to look out for to help you tune your pain-dar:
There is of course no one singular cause of back pain: it can come on suddenly or be the amalgamation of many health misdemeanours. Here are the prime suspects:
You can learn more about signs, symptoms and causes here
If you are living with back pain, chances are you’ve noticed how much it has changed the way you live: your walking may be slower, it takes you longer to get up and move, you might struggle sitting for long times, you can’t drive as easily, and it has an exhaustive impact on your sleep. But, it’s not all doom and gloom: there is plenty you can do to manage your back pain.
Back pain is not the end. It is, for the most part, manageable and you can still very much lead an active and healthy life. However, it does require some work and the adoption of some healthy habits, so what can you do to get back to your best?
There are plenty of things you can start doing today to improve the symptoms of back pain.
As with anything that happens in your life, it’s best to learn as much about it as you can - a combination of good habits works better than one single change - so you can reduce the negative impact and enhance the positives by working to create healthy habits.
One thing is clear and that is that back pain isn’t going away any time soon and is actually projected to become more of an issue across the globe so accessible and affordable back care for the masses is an absolute must.
But, how do we get there? Well, with this intel, hopefully you now feel better equipped to either a) be on the lookout for early signs of LBP so you can combat them early, or b) you struggle with back pain already and now feel confident that you can go away, make some lifestyle changes and maybe sign up for BackHug so you can reduce pain by an average of 51% in the comfort of your own home - no appointments or travel needed!