A study has found a connection between back pain and early death. It is well-known that back pain is a distressing condition that makes daily life miserable for hundreds of millions of people around the world, but could it also cause you to die sooner?
The answer is "yes." A group of researchers published their findings in the European Journal of Pain, confirming that this is indeed possible. The team, led by Professor Paulo Ferreira, a physiotherapy researcher at the University of Sydney, compared the mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases among 4,390 Danish twins aged 70 and above. They discovered that those suffering from back pain were 13% more likely to die prematurely compared to others. Professor Ferreira clarified that he is not entirely sure whether back pain directly contributes to early death; it appears that a patient's back condition does not directly impact mortality. Instead, back pain seems to reflect poor health in other areas of the body, making cardiovascular death more likely. Ferreira remarked, "It is a classic case of correlation without causation." He emphasized that these findings require further investigation because, while there is a clear link between back pain and early mortality, the exact reasons for this remain unknown. Chronic back pain may be part of a pattern of poor health and impaired functional capacity, increasing the risk of death, particularly in older adults.
It is noteworthy that regardless of the cause, the results of Ferreira's study could have significant implications for primary care, especially for the elderly. If back pain can be a predictor of early mortality, it should be addressed as a symptom of poor health and used as a screening tool for other potential conditions. Dr. Matthew Hernandez, who assisted Ferreira in the study, stated, "With the rapidly increasing number of elderly individuals, spinal health is crucial in maintaining the independence and health of older adults, highlighting the importance of focusing on and addressing spinal pain as a secondary symptom in primary health care."
According to available estimates, the lifetime prevalence of non-specific back pain is 84%, meaning the vast majority of people experience it at some point in their lives, whereas the prevalence of chronic low back pain is 23%, with half of these individuals experiencing lifelong functional disability. However, studies show that chronic back pain remains unfortunately resistant to treatment. Professor Ferreira noted, "Medications are often ineffective, and surgery usually does not yield good results, making the best treatment for low back pain a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity. People need to keep moving."
It is worth mentioning that a previous study led by Ferreira found that individuals suffering from depression were 60% more likely to develop low back pain. In fact, cognitive and psychological treatments may be more effective than physical therapies in alleviating the mental and emotional foundations of back pain, as indicated by some previous studies.
