What low back pain is and why we need to pay attention.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of global burden and epidemiological characteristics of low back pain
PubMed 29573870 · doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30480-X
What was done
This review synthesized data on the global epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, and clinical course of low back pain across high-, middle-, and low-income countries.
What was found
Globally, years lived with disability caused by low back pain increased by 54% between 1990 and 2015, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. For nearly all individuals, no specific nociceptive or pathological cause can be identified. Most people recover quickly from an acute episode, but recurrence is common. Persistent disabling pain is associated with high initial pain intensity, psychological distress, pain at multiple sites, physically demanding work, smoking, obesity, and low socioeconomic status.
Why it matters
It establishes low back pain as a major and growing global public health challenge that disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries lacking adequate healthcare infrastructure.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review without reported systematic search methods, study inclusion criteria, or pooled effect estimates. Quantitative effect sizes and participant counts are not provided in the abstract.