Back Pain Facts and Statistics


Did you know that about 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any moment and what’s more, around  80% of the population suffers from spinal pain at a time? To make you realize how important paying attention to your spine and treating your back pain properly is, our spine surgeon in Palm Beach County, Dr. Matthew Hepler, prepared a number of interesting facts and statistics about back pain. 

1. Did you know that  back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide? It prevents many people from engaging in everyday life, including work and other daily activities. 

2. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work and corresponds for over 264 million lost work days in one year. That is 2 work days for every full-time worker in the States. 

3. Regardless of age, back pain can have an impact on people of all ages, from teenagers to the elderly.

4. Did you know that back pain is the third most common reason to see the doctor, after joint and skin disorders?

back pain 2 1024x683 - Back Pain Facts and Statistics

5. In most cases, back pain is mechanical or non-organic, which means, not caused by serious conditions, like infection, fractures, inflammatory arthritis, or cancer

6. Did you know that more and more people live for many years with disorders caused by low back pain? Years lived with that have increased by 54% between 1990 and 2015.

7. Diabetes, heart disease, and back pain dominate US health care spending. Lower back pain alone costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care costs each year, excluding lost wages and decreased productivity, which would increase the cost to over $100 billion. 

8. You can recover from lower back pain. However, for some people, recurrence is common and what’s worse, the condition may become chronic.

(Source: https://www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Back-Pain-Facts-and-statistics )

Learn more about Dr. Matthew Hepler – Spine Surgeon Palm Beach County

Don’t let chronic back, or neck pain take over your life. If you are suffering from constant discomfort in your neck or back, our orthopedic spine specialist is ready to help. Dr. Hepler is an adult and pediatric spine surgeon in Palm Beach County, including Fort Lauderdale, and Delray Beach. 

He treats all conditions of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, and also provides spinal stenosis treatments. Additionally, he offers non-operative treatment options, such as pain medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy. But, he also offers operative treatments, including both minimally invasive techniques and complex reconstructions. If you would like to learn more about our orthopedic spine surgeon, please Contact Us. 

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.

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