Back pain shortens life span. Domino effect on health an Australian study says so

Researchers at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Health Sciences have found that back pain, a leading cause of disability on a global scale, also contributes to shorter life spans. The scientists examined the prevalence of back pain (general low back pain or acute pain) among 4390 Danish twins aged 70 to 102 years. They then compared these statistics with the death registry.

Older people who report spinal pain have a 13% higher risk of mortality per year of life, but the connection is not causal writes study leader Paulo Ferreira. The scholar says he is not surprised by the results. Back pain has important consequences as we age, and people are generally unaware of it.Regarding the fact that the findings are not causal Ferreira explains that although there is no independent correlation with lifespan, back pain tends to create a domino effect, which negatively impacts health and increases the likelihood of premature death he adds.

The study, points out Giovanni D’Agata president of “Sportello dei Diritti,” was published in theEuropean Journal of Pain.