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Back pain - a national health priority

6 May 2009

Research shows that back pain is one of the most common long-term health conditions reported by teenagers and young adults, with up to 94 per cent experiencing some disability as a result.

These findings have prompted Professor Rachelle Buchbinder from Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and the Cabrini Institute, and Dr Andrew Briggs from Curtin University of Technology's School of Physiotherapy to call for back pain to be classified as a national health priority area.

Professor Buchbinder said classification of back pain as a priority area would improve public awareness and coordination of management strategies.

She said back pain was experienced by a cross section of the population with four out of five Australians likely to suffer from back pain in their lifetimes, and one in 10 experiencing significant disability.

"While the prevalence of back pain is low in children (one to six per cent) it rises sharply in adolescence (18 to 50 per cent)," Professor Buchbinder said.

"This increasing prevalence of back pain in adolescence suggests a growing burden into adulthood and a real threat to future workforce productivity.

"However disability from back pain could be minimised and even prevented by 'de-medicalising' the problem."

Professor Buchbinder said back pain was second only to mental health as a contributor to lost productivity.

"Back pain disrupts quality of life and accounts for an enormous cost to the community," Professor Buchbinder said.

"It is associated with significant workforce absenteeism and 'presenteeism', where people are at work but not productive.

"Including back pain as a national health priority will ensure greater opportunity to target funding at preventing or minimising the impact of back pain on individuals and the community."