The Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER) assured that low back pain is the main cause of work disability in people under 50 years of age in Spain, a problem that is aggravated because 80% of people will feel back pain at some point in their lives.
On the occasion of the celebration this Saturday of World Low Back Pain Day, the SER highlighted that a third of people who have an episode of low back pain and recover will have a new episode within a year.
With these figures, given their high impact and forecast increase, the SER insisted on the need to address this situation and confront the factors that increase this problem such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity or stress.
For this reason, Dr. Julio Sánchez, from the Rheumatology service at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, highlighted the need to correctly address this situation that has become a public health problem.
“Prevention and self-care are two fundamental factors to deal with low back pain. Maintaining an adequate weight, performing exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen, and taking care of posture when sitting or lifting objects are measures that can reduce the probability of suffering from low back pain,” he pointed out.
AVOID A SEDENTARY
In relation to exercise, the rheumatologist recalled that “scientific reality has shown that avoiding bed rest and trying to return to activity as soon as possible facilitates the recovery of people who suffer from low back pain.”
“While it is true that the exercise must be done carefully and adapted to the person’s physical limitation at that moment. An example would be the recommended exercises included in the SER’s Reumafit project,” he added.
In fact, low back pain is one of the most frequent symptoms of medical consultation and, although in most cases it does not represent a serious problem, its impact on quality of life can be high.
For this reason, Dr. Sánchez stressed, “seeking help in time and following a comprehensive approach, which combines non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments, can be very useful for those who suffer from it,” said the specialist, who insisted on the importance of those affected “becoming aware and becoming participants and protagonists in its management.”
TREATMENT
Drug treatment for low back pain is recommended when pain persists despite other approaches such as exercise, physical therapy, or lifestyle changes.
In this regard, the specialist explained that “analgesics are usually the first step, but in cases of intense or chronic pain, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants or even other types of medications with other targets may be necessary. In some cases of chronic low back pain with inflammatory causes, such as axial spondyloarthritis, a more specialized therapy that includes immunomodulatory or biological drugs may be required.”
“It is always important that pharmacological treatment is supervised by a health professional to avoid side effects and ensure effectiveness and adherence.” For this reason, he recalled that “a study published in the journal ‘The Lancet Rheumatology‘ on the prevalence of this pathology estimates that, in 30 years, there will be more than 800 million people affected worldwide.”
