Cost of Low Back Pain

Back pain can develop suddenly or gradually, but it is rarely caused by a serious illness. It is not a homogeneous condition, and it can present people with different levels of severity. (NICE 2007). The source of pain is often down to work-related conditions, such as fixed or constrained body position, unsuitable work station, repetitive body movements, or for example fast paced work preventing recovery between movements (Buckley 2015; ISD Scotland 2015). The pain can also result from bad posture, uncomfortable position while sitting or standing; while lifting something or bending awkwardly (NHS Choices 2016; ISD Scotland 2015).
Low back pain or lumbago is the most common type of back pain (NHS Choices 2016). According to University hospital Southampton (2014) 95% of all back pain affects the lower back. Chronic low back pain is the most common pain clinic complaint (Price et al., 2012).