|
|
|
« Back
More Clues to Back Pain in Adults
|
Posted on: 03/15/2004
|
Can we tell ahead of time who will suffer from back pain? Not yet, but studies like this are identifying risk factors among men and women. Once these risk factors are known, maybe we can work on preventing the problem.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Arthritis Research Center did this study. They used the Canadian National Population Health Survey to look for predictors of chronic back pain. Other studies have looked at risk factors within specific occupations. This one looks at the general adult (18 and older) population.
They found more back pain in adults ages 40 to 60 than any other group. Different factors were linked with back pain in men compared to women. For men, poor health was the strongest risk factor. Other risks included age, chronic stress, height, and doing yard work or gardening when they'd rather be doing something else. For women, limits to activity ranked as the top risk factor. Other risks included personal stress, arthritis, and a history of psychological trauma.
The authors give us an example to show how this works. An active woman with low stress, no history of psychological trauma, and no arthritis has about a six percent chance of back pain over a two-year time period. On the other hand, a woman with arthritis who can't do her daily activities and who has a history of traumatic events in childhood has a 32 percent chance of back pain within two years.
This study showed there are different risk factors for back pain in the general population based on gender. General health and psychosocial factors are also important for both men and women. General health is more important for men and functional status is more important for women. General stress is a risk for men. Personal stress is linked with back pain in women.
Except for gender, all of these risk factors can be changed or modified. The next step is to see if changing any of these factors reduces the risk of back pain.
|
References:
Jacek A. Kopec, MD, PhD, et al. Predictors of Back Pain in a General Population Cohort. In Spine. January 1, 2004. Vol. 29. No. 1. Pp. 70-78.
|
|
|
« Back
|
|
|
|
*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
 | All content provided by eORTHOPOD® is a registered trademark of Mosaic Medical Group, L.L.C.. Content is the sole property of Mosaic Medical Group, LLC and used herein by permission. |
|
