Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor
Featured illustration: Back pain affects nearly 80 per cent of people, but often is mistreated. | Cedric Wong
From three-hour lectures to heavy backpacks and overnight study sessions at the library, the feeling of back pain is one that is all too familiar for students.
There are several causes of back pain in young adults, but three of the most common are muscle strains; degenerative disc disease, which is when the discs between vertebrae break down and cause inflammation and sciatica; and a lumbar herniated disc, which is when a disc between vertebrae is out of alignment. A herniated disc can cause pressure on nerves that can lead to sciatica, which is pain and numbness in the glutes and hamstrings.
However, many people who suffer from back pain either attempt to treat it themselves or ignore it completely, which can lead to serious health problems in the future, including death.
A recent study found that people who suffer from chronic back pain are 13 per cent more likely to die early.
The study also found that painkillers, while good at managing pain, are ineffective in treating the condition itself.
There haven’t been many studies on the effects of back pain and early mortality, but researchers from the University of Sydney studied over 4,000 twins over the age of 70, specifically looking for a correlation between early mortality and spinal pain.
Dr. Paulo Ferreria, author of the study, feels the results are crucial to understanding the link between back pain and early mortality.
“These findings warrant further investigation, because while there is a clear link between back pain and mortality, we don’t know yet why this is so,” he said.
Ferreria added that spinal pain could be a sign of poor health, and should be considered a serious issue that can lead to early mortality.
“Back pain should be recognized as an important co-morbidity that is likely to impact people’s longevity and quality of life,” said Dr. Matthew Fernandez, also involved in the study.
Currently, back pain is the leading contributor to disability worldwide. It affects nearly 80 per cent of people at some time in their life, with most cases being linked to heavy lifting or awkward bending.
While back pain is treatable, half of people who experience it see a recurrence within 12 months, and some can suffer from it for years at a time.
The most commonly prescribed treatment for back pain is pain killers, but according to a recent study, this is ineffective in preventing back pain from returning. The only known preventative measure is stretching and exercise.
If you are someone who experiences back pain on a consistent basis, you can get checked out at the Appletree Medical Centre in York Lanes, or, if it’s a sports-related injury, the sport injury clinic located in room 201 of Tait McKenzie.
