14 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT BACK PAIN…

In the UK, 2.5 million people have back pain every day of the year.
Most people have lower back pain. This is because the lower back bears the weight of the upper body. It also twists and bends more than the upper back.
The spine consists of 33 bony segments, the vertebrae. The discs lie between these. They are tough and spongy and work as shock absorbers, and give the spine flexibility – the spine can, in fact, bend far enough to form two-thirds of a circle.
If your back pain started after a trivial movement, such as picking up a book from the floor, you could have a slipped disc or a joint problem in your spine.
Nerves from the spinal cord branch out and leave the spine through spaces between the vertebrae at the levels of the discs.
Back pain is second only to headaches as the most common location of pain.
Many people who often have back pain, either lead inactive sedentary lives or have inherited a genetic susceptibility to back pain.
Severe intermittent back pain that goes down to your groin, could indicate that you have kidney stones.
Vibration often causes back problems, which is why truck drivers often have back pain.
In any two-week period of time, between 25 – 33% of all adults get some form of back pain.
Cyclists often experience back pain, which can often be rectified by adjusting the angle of the bicycle seat.
Back pain became a part of life when humans started walking upright, rather than on all fours. The vertebrae were never really designed to deal with walking upright.
Pain in the middle of your back, which becomes worse after eating, could indicate a stomach ulcer.
Up to 7% of people with acute back pain will develop chronic back pain. These chronic patients have considerable discomfort and account for approximately 80% of the social and health care costs.