Factors effecting frequency of occurrence of back pain syndromes

Abstract

Low back pain syndromes are in the group of the commonest diseases observed in recent years and bear serious medical, social and economical burden. According to European data more than 70% of population suffered from back pain at least for a week in the lifetime, and 15-40% of population experiences low back pain every year. There is alarming decrease in the age of first onset described by many authors. Peak morbidity is observed in persons aged between 35 and 55 years, but a recent Japanese study brings evidence that 66.7% of middle-school children has already experienced low back pain lasting for at least 1 week, and relapse rate exceeds 60%. Increase of incidence and morbidity of low back pain is linked to lifestyle alterations including significant limitation of physical activities since young age, changes of hobby preferences, alteration of work habits favoring activities performed in improper body position lasting for hours or even years, to dynamic physical work. Pain may be presented in any phase of spinal overload syndromes. Back pain may result from nocyceptive activation in spinal, paraspinal tissues as well as irritating of nervous structures within vertebral canal, when appears as a neuropathic pain. Pain in spondylolisthesis may be related to ligamentous constrain, particularly when posterior longitudinal ligament (densely supplied with nocyceptive endings) is involved. The paper describes the commonest back pain syndromes and spinal deformities resulting from long-lasting overload with their typical presentation.