Bad backs are global!

The ‘bad back’ is a global phenomenon

The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) joins calls to prioritise the treatment of musculoskeletal problems in wake of new global study. In a landmark and comprehensive study of the worldwide impact of diseases (Global Burden of Disease Study 2012) published in the Lancet on 15th December, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including back and neck pain, were found to be affecting over 1.7 billion people.This staggering figure has increased by 45% over the last 20 years and, with the current estimate for the number of people suffering from back and neck pain alone standing at nearly 1 billion, it is not surprising that there are fears over the impacts, both physical and economic.

The Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health, an influential organisation that brings together stakeholders in all musculoskeletal conditions and of which the British Chiropractic Association is an affiliate, is calling for urgent action to prioritise policies and resources to help keep people moving and reduce the burden of disability caused by these conditions.
BCA President Richard Brown comments “The figures for the incidence of back and neck pain are very worrying and demonstrate the fundamental global impact that these problems are creating.This mirrors the situation in the UK as demonstrated in regular consumer research commissioned on behalf of the British Chiropractic Association. Patients are telling us that back and neck pain is having a significant impact on all aspects of their daily lives. Chiropractors have particular expertise in the diagnosis, treatment and management of back and neck pain and offer a package of care as recommended by NICE in Clinical Guideline 88, The Management of Low Back Pain”