HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/backpain?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#backpainlt;/agt;–According to a recent survey, the incidence of back pain in people over
30 is more than 90 percent, with 35 percent of respondents experiencing
back pain on a daily basis. According to Georgetown’s Health Policy
Institute, back pain is the sixth most costly condition in the United
States and a leading cause of work-loss days and work limitations. (https://hpi.georgetown.edu/backpain/)
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Kelsey-Seybold
Pain Management and Rehabilitation clinicians want to help patients
prevent back pain and improve outcomes.
A survey about back pain and spine health was evenly distributed across
the country to nearly 300 people, age 30 or older, and revealed
interesting insights. Respondents anonymously answered questions
regarding back pain and spine health. Kelsey-Seybold
Clinic physicians reviewed the results and found that most people
over 30 have ongoing and consistent back pain.
Demographically, the survey reached 270 individuals living in all
regions in the United States, male and female. Surprisingly, 70 percent
of the respondents shared that they work in non-labor-intensive careers,
and 75 percent of respondents experience back pain frequently – 35
percent daily and 40 percent monthly.
“Something we have to deal with frequently in clinic is educating
patients on the fact that back pain is not necessarily tied to
labor-intensive jobs. In fact, it is associated with living and working
in sedentary conditions where people are sitting for long periods of
time,” said Ayse
Dural, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Kelsey-Seybold
Clinic – The Woodlands. “It’s one of those things where if you don’t use
your back muscles, you lose that muscle tone, which acts as a protectant
from back pain. Our bodies were meant for movement – and no amount of
ergonomic office setup is going to outweigh the fact that we sit, and
sit, and sit for nine-plus hours per day.”
Interestingly, 47 percent of survey respondents shared that the change
in weather patterns or barometric pressure increases back pain levels.
Houstonians and those living in the surrounding areas will agree that
living near the Gulf of Mexico can add a level of variability in weather
patterns that other areas may not experience. Twenty- and 30-degree
temperature variations in the winter months, and powerful thunderstorms
in the spring and fall, are commonplace – which may contribute to the
increased incidence of back pain flare ups in those months.
“We all know someone who says they can predict when rain or weather
systems are coming because they can feel the change in their body – and
there may be some truth to this,” said Ahmed
Sewielam, M.D., F.I.P.P., Interventional Pain Management at
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Berthelsen Main Campus and Fort Bend Medical and
Diagnostic Center. “We see a significant increase in the number of
people coming in for pain injections or assessments in the fall, winter,
and early spring months. The variability in weather, ongoing pain that
these patients have to deal with, and lack of sunlight in the fall and
winter months also seem to drive up the incidence of related mental
health conditions – most frequently depression.”
Forty-one percent of survey respondents shared that they experience
anxiety or depression related to their back pain.
In the same way individuals care for themselves by engaging in good
habits like making healthy food choices and exercising, so too should
spine health become central to daily activities. Survey respondents were
asked which exercises work best to help strengthen back muscles – and 30
percent believed that vigorous aerobic exercises could help strengthen
back muscles. However, activities such as running or jogging may
negatively impact your spine and other joints. Resistance training –
such as yoga, Pilates, and swimming – as well as weight-bearing
exercises are likely the best options when the goal is to strengthen
back muscles.
“When a patient comes to see me for an acute back issue, exercise may
not be part of the initial plan of care. The main objective at an
appointment like that is to figure out how to best get this person back
to a functional level of activity,” said Steve
Kim, D.O., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Kelsey-Seybold
Clinic – Pasadena Clinic, Summer Creek Clinic, and Berthelsen Main
Campus. “However, if you’re hoping to reduce the chances of having an
appointment like that in the future, back strengthening exercises –
resistance training and weight-bearing exercises – should be
incorporated into your exercise routine to maintain spine health and
prevent an acute episode.”
Contacts
Rachelle Khalaf
713.442.4919
[email protected]
