When someone says that they are having back pain, there's a high probability that they are telling the truth. Back pain is one of the most common ailments that people will have to deal with at one point or another during their lifetime. It's said that up to 80% of the people in the world will have moderate to severe discomforts from injury, illness, or some other ailment.
People go to the doctor for a plethora of health conditions, but dealing with an aching back is the second most popular complaint of patients. For some individuals, it can be dealt with without much concern.
However, it is something that can affect people in various ways surrounding their regular daily routines, and that can be a viable reason to seek treatment. Nearly 40% of people can't do what they would on a typical day due to back issues. Around 38% have reported that they can't do their workout routines at home or the gym and almost that same percentage can't sleep at night because pain is keeping them awake.
It has been reported that a back problem is the number one reason for employees missing their scheduled work shift. About half of all American employees have complained of having pain in their backs at least once per year. Up to 30% of men say they can't always perform their regular work duties and 20% of women struggle with their jobs because their back won't allow them to complete the tasks that they are supposed to.
We know that there are differences when it comes to age and gender with reported issues. A large percentage of the people that seek treatment for back problems are over the age of 65. In 2003 that number was at 33.7% It's also been proven that women have more complaints than men. About one-third of women struggle with discomforts while only one-fourth of men do.