I hear reports all the time that back pain has become our latest national epidemic. Is it really that much? Is this different from past years?

Low back pain (LBP) is the most commonly reported type of pain in adults. This statement is supported by results of several national surveys taken over the past 30 years in the U.S.

Studies repeatedly show that 80 per cent of all adults will experience LBP sometime in their lives. At any one time, about half of adults age 18 and older in the United States have LBP during any given year.

About one-fourth of the American adult population have had at least one day of LBP during the last three months. A smaller portion (15 per cent) report back pain lasting more than two weeks each year.

The number of people visiting their doctors for back pain has remained steady over the last 30 years. However, the number of people seeking treatment for their LBP has increased. There are more surgeries being done but LBP patients are also more likely to look for conservative treatment.