I do a lot of heavy lifting at work, and I’ve had a few brief spells of low back pain over the years. Am I more likely than the average guy to have low back pain in the future?

Scientists are in general agreement that nine of 10 people who have low back pain once will have it again. Doctors call this “recurrent low back pain.” However, a recent study found this wasn’t the case when checking factory workers over a two-year period. This new research found that factory workers who did heavy lifting weren’t more prone to low back pain just because they had had it in the past. In fact, poor physical fitness and lack of social support (not having a confidante) were much stronger predictors of low back pain. Whatever your susceptibility to low back pain, you may beat the odds if you stay physically and emotionally fit.