Life In Canada A Pain In the Back: National Survey
Toronto, June 25, 2003 - Almost two-thirds of Canadian adults suffered from back pain in the past year, and a majority report their pain as moderate to severe. Those are the findings of a new national survey conducted by Environics Research Group The survey of 1,500 adult Canadians 18+, including 1,062 who have experienced back pain in the past 24 months, is representative of the age, sex and regional distribution of the Canadian population.
The survey, which was conducted in April 2003 is accurate +/- 2.5 percentage points 19 times out of 20. for the Canadian Chiropractic Association.
The impact of back pain on the daily lives of sufferers ranged from time
off work and difficulty concentrating, to restricted family and physical
activities, and depression.
"These findings are a wake-up call," says Dr. Greg Stewart, President of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. "They show that back pain hits Canadians hard. Too often the physical and emotional cost of back pain isn't taken seriously and back pain is frequently dismissed as something that will eventually go away on its own. This study tells us that is not the case."
Thirty percent of those surveyed say their pain lasted a month or more including 16 per cent who report back pain that is chronic and continuous. Those who report their back pain as severe are more likely to report that their pain never went away.
In addition to the human toll, back pain also hurts Canada's economy. Of those who were working at the time they experienced back pain, 15 per cent report losing time off work ranging from a few days (18 per cent) to a month or more (53 per cent). Health Canada estimates that musculoskeletal disorders, including back pain, cost society a total of $16.4 billion in direct (treatment and rehabilitation) costs and lost productivity.
Back pain also hits Canadians' wallets. Consumers spent $21.5 million on back pain products in Canada in 1999.
The survey found that back pain sufferers turn to a range of different remedies in their search for relief. The most common treatment used to relieve back pain is over-the-counter medication (37 per cent). More than a third of the back pain sufferers surveyed visited either a chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapist or family doctor. Fourteen per cent of back pain sufferers did nothing to treat their pain, the most frequent reason being they "thought it would go away".
"This points to the need for health professionals to work together to address back pain," says Stewart. "Left untreated, back pain can be a long-term debilitating condition that can have a serious impact on the sufferer's quality of life."
Almost nine in ten Canadians (88 per cent) rate back pain as either a "very" (54 per cent) or "somewhat" (34 per cent) important public health issue.
Stewart noted that the Canadian Chiropractic Association will be developing a public education program to help prevent and manage back pain in response to the survey findings. "The public needs to understand there are many things they can do to prevent back injuries from occurring," said Stewart. "The Canadian chiropractic profession is committed to taking initiative on this public health issue to reduce the incidence of back pain and its cost to society."
The Canadian Chiropractic Association represents the professional interests of Canada's more than 5,000 chiropractors. Chiropractic is a regulated health care profession recognized by statute in all Canadian provinces, and is one of the largest primary contact health care professions in Canada. Every year approximately 4.5 million Canadians use chiropractic services. Chiropractors provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders related to the spine, nervous system, and joints.
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Regional spokespeople available for interviews:
British Columbia
Dr. Don Nixdorf, Executive DirectorBrian Arthur, President
British Columbia Chiropractic Association
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Peter Gay (ext. 238), Derek Kent (ext. 244), Bob Reid (ext. 245)
Veritas Communications Inc.
416-482-2248 (Toronto)
Nicole Rochat
Veritas Communications Inc.
418-428-9744 (Quebec City)
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