Scientists found that constant back pain might predict premature death.
Many people are complaining about uncomfortable episodes of back pain. Some reports show that nine out of ten adults are going to experience such a condition at least once a year. This type of pain is also the fifth most common reason that urges people to go to the hospital. These factors make Americans believe that this is not a concerning situation. On the other hand, a new study found that regular back pain can be a sign of premature death.
There are just a few studies that took the mission to understand how damaging spinal pain can really be among a senior population. A team of researchers from the University of Sidney, Australia is one of the few ones that have performed an in-depth research in this direction. The study appeared in the European Journal of Pain. The lead author of the paper, Dr. Paulo Ferreira, plans to raise awareness through these recent findings of the fatal consequences of frequent back pain.
While back pain is not the cause, it does signal the danger of premature death. The study worked on the collected data from over 4,390 twins aged over 70. Scientists focused on finding any link between spinal pain and death rates. The findings suggested that people that exhibit symptoms of spinal pain, which includes sensitive points in the lower back or neck, have 13% more chances of dying in comparison with those who have a pain free lumbar spine.
Dr. Ferreira stated that painkillers, medications, and surgery have no healing effect whatsoever for such condition. The best people can do to prevent back pain is to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. To his medical experience, he is convinced that those persons who engage in moderate to intense exercises have actually lower chances to feel pain in their lumbar spine. Even if those who become physically active had already experienced back pain, their situation has higher chances to improve than those who prefer to lie in bed.
There are an estimated number of 4 million Australians who suffer from different types of back pain. This condition can be caused by an unnatural bend or lifting heavy objects. The economy has to support the consequences of back pain with $1 billion a year for treatment expenses alone.
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