We talk about back pain as the evil of the century, as this disorder is widespread.
To know everything about this evil, discover now our complete sheet below.
Back pain, what is it?
We talk about back pain as the evil of the century, as this disorder is widespread.
However, back pain does not designate a particular disease, but rather a set of symptoms that can have multiple causes, serious or not, acute or chronic, inflammatory or mechanical, etc.
This sheet is not intended to list all the possible causes of back pain, but rather to offer a summary of the various possible attacks.
The term rachialgia, which means “spinal pain”, is also used to refer to all back pain. Depending on the location of the pain along the spine, we speak of:
Lower back pain: low back pain
when the pain is localized in the lower back at the level of the lumbar vertebrae. Low back pain is the most common condition.
Upper back pain: neck pain
When the pain affects the neck and cervical vertebrae, see the sheet on muscle disorders of the neck.
Pain in the middle of the back: back pain
When the pain affects the dorsal vertebrae, in the middle of the back, it is called back pain
The vast majority of back pain is “common”, that is to say that it is not linked to a serious underlying illness.
How many people experience back pain?
Back pain is extremely common. According to studies, it is estimated that 80-90% of people will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime.
At any given time, about 12-33% of the population complains of back pain, and low back pain in most cases. Over a period of one year, it is considered that 22 to 65% of the population suffers from low back pain. Neck pain is also very common.
In France, back pain is the second cause of consultation with the general practitioner. They are involved in 7% of work stoppages and are the leading cause of disability before the age of 45. In Canada, they are the most common cause of workers’ compensation .
It is a very debilitating public health problem all over the world.
