Back pain risk factors

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Zehra Malik, M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

Risk factors for back pain include poor posture, obesity, pregnancy, cancer, weight lifting, psychological stress, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, autoimmune disease, arthritis and trauma.

Risk Factors

  • The first attack of low back pain typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 40. Back pain becomes more common with age.[1]
  • Back pain is more common among people who are not physically fit. Weak back and abdominal muscles may not properly support the spine. “Weekend warriors”—people who go out and exercise a lot after being inactive all week—are more likely to suffer painful back injuries than people who make moderate physical activity a daily habit. Studies show that low-impact aerobic exercise is good for the discs that cushion the vertebrae, the individual bones that make up the spine.
  • A diet high in calories and fat, combined with an inactive lifestyle, can lead to obesity, which can put stress on the back.[2]
  • Some causes of back pain, such as ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine, have a genetic component.[3]
  • Race can be a factor in back problems. African American women, for example, are two to three times more likely than white women to develop spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra of the lower spine— also called the lumbar spine— slips out of place.[4]
  • Many diseases can cause or contribute to back pain. These include various forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and cancers elsewhere in the body that may spread to the spine.[5]
  • Smokers are more likely to experience back pain than non-smokers.[6]
  • A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in x-rays and other medical imaging scans.[7][8][9][10]

References

  1. Leboeuf-Yde C, Kyvik KO (1998). "At what age does low back pain become a common problem? A study of 29,424 individuals aged 12-41 years". Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 23 (2): 228–34. doi:10.1097/00007632-199801150-00015. PMID 9474731.
  2. Zhang TT, Liu Z, Liu YL, Zhao JJ, Liu DW, Tian QB (2018). "Obesity as a Risk Factor for Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis". Clin Spine Surg. 31 (1): 22–27. doi:10.1097/BSD.0000000000000468. PMID 27875413.
  3. Burr J, Shephard R, Cornish S, Vatanparast H, Chilibeck P (2012). "Arthritis, osteoporosis, and low back pain: evidence-based clinical risk assessment for physical activity and exercise clearance". Can Fam Physician. 58 (1): 59–62. PMC 3264014. PMID 22267624.
  4. Vogt MT, Rubin DA, Palermo L, Christianson L, Kang JD, Nevitt MC; et al. (2003). "Lumbar spine listhesis in older African American women". Spine J. 3 (4): 255–61. doi:10.1016/s1529-9430(03)00024-x. PMID 14589183.
  5. Mabry LM, Ross MD, Tonarelli JM (2014). "Metastatic cancer mimicking mechanical low back pain: a case report". J Man Manip Ther. 22 (3): 162–9. doi:10.1179/2042618613Y.0000000056. PMC 4101555. PMID 25125938.
  6. Green BN, Johnson CD, Snodgrass J, Smith M, Dunn AS (2016). "Association Between Smoking and Back Pain in a Cross-Section of Adult Americans". Cureus. 8 (9): e806. doi:10.7759/cureus.806. PMC 5081254. PMID 27790393.
  7. Burton AK, Tillotson KM, Main CJ, Hollis S (1995). "Psychosocial predictors of outcome in acute and subchronic low back trouble". Spine. 20 (6): 722–8. PMID 7604349.
  8. Carragee EJ, Alamin TF, Miller JL, Carragee JM (2005). "Discographic, MRI and psychosocial determinants of low back pain disability and remission: a prospective study in subjects with benign persistent back pain". The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society. 5 (1): 24–35. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2004.05.250. PMID 15653082.
  9. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Yu F (2003). "Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of low-back pain and related disability with psychological distress among patients enrolled in the UCLA Low-Back Pain Study". Journal of clinical epidemiology. 56 (5): 463–71. PMID 12812821.
  10. Dionne CE (2005). "Psychological distress confirmed as predictor of long-term back-related functional limitations in primary care settings". Journal of clinical epidemiology. 58 (7): 714–8. doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2004.12.005. PMID 15939223.

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