Анализ глобальных данных за более чем 30 лет показывает растущий кризис боли в пояснице, при этом прогнозы предполагают, что к 2050 году от этого заболевания будут страдать 843 миллиона человек из-за роста населения и старения населения.
Обзор данных за более чем три десятилетия показывает тенденцию к увеличению случаев боли в пояснице, при этом прогнозы показывают, что к 2050 году это заболевание может затронуть около 843 миллионов человек. Этот рост может быть в первую очередь связан с увеличением населения и его прогрессирующим возрастом.
Отсутствие стандартизированного протокола лечения болей в спине в сочетании с неадекватными альтернативами лечения является источником беспокойства для исследователей. Они опасаются, что это может вызвать катастрофу для здравоохранения, учитывая, что боль в пояснице является основной глобальной причиной инвалидности.
В Австралии к 2050 году число случаев заболевания увеличится почти на 50 процентов. Ситуация с болью в спине изменится, причем наибольший рост случаев боли в спине придется на Азию и Африку.
Результаты недавно были опубликованы в
“Currently, how we have been responding to back pain has been reactive. Australia is a global leader in back pain research; we can be proactive and lead by example on back pain prevention,” said Professor Ferreira who is based at Sydney’s Kolling Institute.
The study reveals several milestones in back pain cases. Since 2017, the number of low back pain cases has ticked over to more than half a billion people.
In 2020, there were approximately 619 million cases of back pain.
At least one-third of the disability burden associated with back pain was attributable to occupational factors, smoking, and being overweight.
A widespread misconception is that low back pain mostly affects adults of working age. But researchers say this study has confirmed that low back pain is more common among older people. Low back pain cases were also higher among females compared to males.
This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date available data that includes for the first time global projections and the contribution of GBD risk factors to low back pain. The work was made possible by the joint efforts of The University of Sydney, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the
It is also the first study to be used for modeling the future prevalence of back pain cases.
“Health systems need to respond to this enormous and rising burden of low back pain that is affecting people globally. Much more needs to be done to prevent low back pain and ensure timely access to care, as there are effective ways of helping people in pain” said Prof Anthony Woolf, co-chair of the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health which is calling for priority to be given to addressing the growing burden of musculoskeletal conditions.
“Ministries of health cannot continue ignoring the high prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain. These conditions have important social and economic consequences, especially considering the cost of care. Now is the time to learn about effective strategies to address the high burden and to act” said Dr Alarcos Cieza, Unit Head, World Health Organization, Headquarters, Geneva.
National guidelines will form the basis of back pain prevention
In 2018, experts (independent of this study) voiced their concerns in The Lancet and gave recommendations, especially regarding exercise and education, about the need for a change in global policy on the best way to prevent and manage low back pain to stop the rise of inappropriate treatments.
However, since then, there has been little change. Common treatments recommended for low back pain have been found to have unknown effectiveness or to be ineffective – this includes some surgeries and opioids.
Professor Ferreira says there is a lack of consistency in how health professionals manage back pain cases and how the healthcare system needs to adapt.
“It may come as a surprise to some that current clinical guidelines for back pain treatment and management do not provide specific recommendations for older people.”
“Older people have more complex medical histories and are more likely to be prescribed strong medication, including opioids for back pain management, compared to younger adults. But this is not ideal and can have a negative impact on their function and quality of life, especially as these analgesics may interfere with their other existing medications. This is just one example of why we need to update clinical guidelines to support our health professionals.”
Co-author Dr. Katie de Luca, from CQUniversity, said if the right action is not taken, low back pain can become a precursor to chronic health conditions such as diabetes, DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00098-X
