Back pain: Overview
Pain in the back
Pain can occur anywhere down the back1:
- Pain in the region between the base of the neck to the bottom of the ribcage is classified as upper and middle back pain.
- Pain between the bottom of the ribcage and top of the legs is known as lower back pain.
Back pain affects most people at some point in their lives. Lower back pain is a particularly common problem in need of a solution.1
The underlying causes of back pain can be difficult to uncover, but symptomatic relief is available.
Back pain is highly prevalent
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![Globe]()
Globally, more than half a billion people have lower back pain lasting more than 3 months.2
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![Man with back pain]()
The lifetime prevalence of non-specific lower back pain is thought to be around 60–70% in industrialised countries.3
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![Graphic summarising back and neck pain prevalence rates]()
According to a global online survey of over 24,000 people across 24 countries, the back, lower back and neck are the most common sites for regular body pain.4*
Women are more likely to suffer from regular back pain than men, and back pain is especially common amongst parents.5
*These data were derived from the Global Pain Index, a survey which asked people to self-define the pain they had experienced at any point in time.4
Back or neck pain can be disabling
Back and neck pain can negatively affect a person's day-to-day life
Around 80% of people with back pain, lower back pain or neck pain report a significant impact of their pain on their day-to-day lives.4
Lower back pain is estimated as the most disabling condition in the world,6 and such body pain negatively impacts people’s mood and self-esteem, and makes people feel older than they are. Despite this, many people are not aware of the source of their pain – a concerning fact, given that the majority of body pain is chronic.4,5
Meet Laura and Emma
Laura
Laura, 32, is an active mother who loves to take her children swimming.
Recently, she hurt her back and cannot do as much with her family as she used to. She is having difficulty bending, twisting and reaching, which makes caring for two young children even more challenging than ever.
Emma
Emma, 48, works as a shop assistant in a large grocery store.
She spends most of her working day on her feet and has recently been experiencing aches and twinges in her back. She can’t afford to take time off work and she is on medications for a couple of chronic conditions.
“I’m on my feet a lot, so I need a treatment that can help me stay that way,” she describes.
Understanding back pain
Signs and symptoms
Explore an overview of how to recognise back pain and know when to refer patients.
Learn more
