Back pain is not just a painful and annoying condition—it could be a warning sign of more serious health problems.
A new study has found that people with chronic back pain are more likely to also suffer from other major health issues, including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and even cancer.
Chronic back pain is one of the main reasons people become disabled around the world. It keeps millions of people from going to work, doing daily activities, or even sleeping comfortably. It also costs health care systems and economies billions of dollars every year.
The new study, led by Associate Professor Rafael Zambelli Pinto from the University of Technology Sydney, was recently published in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. The research team included experts from Brazil and Australia and used data from nearly 90,000 people who took part in the 2019 National Health Survey in Brazil.
The results showed that about 1 in 5 people had chronic back pain—similar to rates seen in wealthier countries—proving this is a global issue. More importantly, the study found that people with chronic back pain were more likely to also have other diseases compared to people without back pain.
Among the most common health problems found in people with back pain were heart disease, arthritis, and depression. These individuals were also more likely to have diabetes, cancer, asthma, or other lung conditions.
Specifically, people with back pain were 17% more likely to have heart disease, 15% more likely to have arthritis, and 12% more likely to suffer from depression than people without back pain. In Australia alone, about 4 million people live with back problems, and nearly three-quarters of them are over 45 and also have at least one other health issue.
The study also found that having both back pain and another health problem, like arthritis or depression, made daily life much harder. These people were more likely to say they had serious trouble doing everyday activities such as walking, cleaning, or working.
Dr. Zambelli Pinto said that while more research is needed to fully understand the connection between back pain and other diseases, many of them share common risk factors. These include lack of physical activity, being overweight, stress, and poor sleep—all things that can affect both physical and mental health.
He also said that doctors should look beyond just managing the pain when treating patients with back problems. Since back pain may be linked to other serious health conditions, patients need more complete care that addresses all their health needs.
The research team believes that health care systems should develop better care plans and team-based approaches to help people with back pain. That way, they can manage not just the pain, but also any other chronic conditions that may be affecting the patient’s health and quality of life.
The study is published in Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.
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