Most common causes of back pain: workplace ergonomics, obesity and smoking

Low back pain cannot simply be ignored: Anyone who struggles with lower back pain suffers noticeably in terms of quality of life. Globally, this pain caused an incredible 69 million years of poor health in 2020. This not only has an impact on every single person affected, but also has enormous economic consequences.

Two out of three people suffer from back pain

An analysis by the Robert Koch Institute in 2021 revealed that more than two in three of those surveyed suffer from back pain - more precisely: most of them suffer from pain in the lower vertebrae. A worldwide study, which systematically analysed the global, regional and national burden of back pain and the risk factors responsible for it over 30 years, came to a similar conclusion. According to the study, 619 million people worldwide suffer from the consequences of back pain.

Women over 75 most frequently affected

The study analysed the general population in 204 countries and regions. The results showed that the symptoms occur most frequently in people from Hungary and the Czech Republic, while they are least common in the Maldives and Myanmar. Regardless of the region, more women than men are affected across all age groups. The gender difference is particularly pronounced from the age of 75. Overall, people aged 85 and over are the most affected in percentage terms.

Main causes: ergonomic factors in the workplace, obesity and smoking

The researchers also investigated which risk factors are most likely to cause back pain. It turned out that, regardless of whether it is physical labour or an office job, the dangers of back pain occur everywhere. Around 40 per cent of low back pain is caused by three main risk factors:

Poor ergonomic factors in the workplace: Whether it's an incorrect sitting position in the office, standing for long periods at a sales stand, for example, or lifting heavy loads incorrectly, back pain often occurs in the workplace.

Overweight: Obesity is often associated with back pain due to the increased load on the lower vertebrae and greater strain on the intervertebral discs and joints. A study from Norway, for example, showed a correlation between body mass index (BMI) and back pain, according to which the risk increased with increasing BMI.

Smoking: As a result of smoking, you probably think of many things in terms of health, but not back pain first. However, the analysis actually showed that regular tobacco consumption is one of the three main risk factors for chronic back pain. The hypothesis is that it is the vasoconstrictive effect of nicotine that leads to poorer blood circulation and therefore insufficient supply to bones, intervertebral discs and back muscles.

The prognosis is gloomy

At present, the age-adjusted number of people suffering from back pain has been declining globally since the 1990s. However, the authors of the study paint a bleak picture for the future: Over the next 30 years, they assume that the number of sufferers will increase. By 2050, they predict that there will already be 840 million people with low back pain. This is also accompanied by an increasing burden on healthcare systems. In the USA, for example, the total cost of all spinal disorders from 2012 to 2014 already amounted to 315 billion US dollars.

Prevention pays off

The likelihood of experiencing back pain is therefore high for everyone. It is therefore all the more worthwhile to prevent back pain. Even small changes in habits, ergonomic optimisation of the workplace or regular moments of relaxation can often make a big difference.

Here you can find tips to help prevent back pain or alleviate it in acute situations.

When it hurts higher up: pain in the neck

There's a good chance you're reading this text on your mobile. However, staring at the mobile phone screen often unconsciously forces us into an unfavourable posture, which then has similar unpleasant consequences as back pain: Neck pain. In our two-part series, you can find out everything you need to know about the causes and what can help you with neck pain, shoulder and cervical vertebrae problems.