Research shows back pain is the most frequent reason for days missed on the job by workers under the age of 45 years. Yet studies show over and over that low back pain occurs in more than 70 percent of all adults at some time in their lives.

A recent study from the Spanish National Health Care System looked at 195 low back pain patients. They collected data on the background of each patient. This included age, sex, education level, and type of work.

In this study group, the average age was 46 years with a fairly equal number of men as women. All professions were included from blue collar to retired and all points in between. Patients were most likely to be students, blue collar workers, or housewives. Retired workers and white collar workers were affected almost equally, but in fewer numbers.