A Worldwide Epidemic
It is estimated that at any one time there are over 1 billion people suffering with back pain around the globe, many of whom have no access to treatment. In many countries up to 80% of the adult population suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. This can have an enormous impact on industry and on the economy of nations.
Dr Robyn Brown is the global coordinator for World Spine Day. She said: “We know that spinal disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. It can include simple strains and sprains but can be incapacitating, preventing people from going to work or engaging in leisure and family activity. Back pain is more common as we get older but increasingly we are seeing children with musculoskeletal problems caused by inactivity, obesity and even prolonged use of smartphones.”
The first World Spine Day was in 2012 and it has been growing in momentum since this time.
The spine is designed to move and flood the brain with nerve information, much of which is used to create a sense of where the body is positioned. This in turn is used by the brain to control movement. Spines that move less often, or people who sit or stand in one place, develop poor joint and ligament health resulting in poor quality nerve feedback.
When the quality of nerve feedback is poor then an episode of lower back or neck pain is almost a certainty. When a person is tired, has experienced a toxic load such as a high level of caffeine or is psychologically stressed – the nervous system functions even less well until the highly interactive brain-body connection makes an error. Two muscles pull against each other until something gives. The result is sudden, unexpected pain from an everyday event.
