Back Pain Prospects: 1 In 5 Gets Better, 1 In 3 Gets Worse

Back pain prospects: 1 in 5 gets better, 1 in 3 gets worse

Back pain is one of the most common health problems. Canadian scientists figured out what prospects await a person who is faced with this problem. Their results showed that predictions can be drastically different, and doctors require the most individual approach.

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Back pain is one of the most common health problems. A new study by Canadian scientists and published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research focused on the dynamics and prognosis of back pain.

For the study, the authors observed a large group of Canadians from 1994 to 2011. Every two years, they surveyed all 12,782 participants about comorbidities, pain, disability, opiate and other drug use, and visits to health facilities.

During 16 years of follow-up, almost half (45.6%) of participants reported back pain at least once. Among them, persistent, regularly recurring pain was observed in 18%, increased pain was noted in 28.1%, recovery - in 20.5%, and 33.4% reported recurrent back pain.

Those who reported persistent and worsening pain were more likely to lose the ability to take action, and were also more likely to visit health facilities and take medication. Among those who were recovering or suffered from recurrent pain, the use of antidepressants and opiates increased over time.

“The good news is that one in five people with back pain has recovered over time. However, many of them continued to take opiates and antidepressants, suggesting that they need continued follow-up. The bad news was that one in five experienced persistent back pain, and almost one in three experienced persistent back pain. These people were more likely to report pain that limited their physical activity and worsen their depression, as well as more frequent doctor visits and medications,”said study lead author Mayilee Canizares.

Dr. Canizares also noted that the data obtained indicate that people with back pain represent a fairly diverse group, so there should not be a single approach to their treatment, in each case it is necessary to develop an individual strategy.