Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability globally, a latest research reveals.
Researchers analysed the data of ill health or disability stemming from various conditions. The data was gathered from 187 countries for the years 1990, 2005 and 2010. These nations were divided into 21 regions.
The scientists studied the prevalence, incidence, remission, duration, and risk of death associated with low back pain in 117 studies that covered 47 countries and 16 of the 21 Global Disease world regions. In addition they studied data from national health surveys in different countries.
The study results showed that lower back pain topped the chart in causing more disability. The researchers had taken 291 medical conditions surveyed in the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study into account. Lower back ache ranked sixth in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), the authors stated in a press release.
The researchers arrived at the conclusion after combining the number of years of life lost due to early death and the number of years lived with disability. Lower back ache was ranked as the greatest contributor to disability in 12 of the 21 world regions, and the greatest contributor to overall burden in Western Europe and Australasia.
Almost one in 10 people suffered from low back pain and the incidence of the DALYs rose from from 58.2 million in 1990 to 83 million in 2010.
"With ageing populations throughout the world, but especially in low and middle income countries, the number of people living with lower back pain will increase substantially over coming decades," the authors said, reports Medical News Today.
The study appeared in the journal 'Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.'
