Controlling the burden of spinal disorders in low- and middle-income countries

Excerpt

Spinal disorders, including back and neck pain, are a major burden on individuals and societies globally. Most people will suffer at some time in their lives from an episode of disabling back pain, which is often short-lived but may be recurrent and some become chronic. The costs are high. Back pain is one of the commonest causes of work loss, and the financial impact falls on individuals, their families, employers due to lost productivity and on society as a whole through lost economic activity, and through the costs of health and social care. Although universal health coverage is a goal of the United Nations and World Health Organizations, many countries do not have systems to rehabilitate or support people unable to work because of health problems. Then, the burden falls on the individual and their families. This is particularly the scenario in low- and middle-income countries and in some high-income countries. With younger workers moving to urban areas and into sedentary work leaving older family members to work on the land, these demographic changes will increase the economic impact of disabling back pain. …