More than 11.7 million Americans are significantly impaired and 2.6 million are permanently disabled by back pain alone. One national survey found that more than 550 million days are lost from work each year because of pain.
Back problems affect all kinds of people, men as much as women and young as well as old.
Even among 16-24 year olds, one in three had back pain in the past year. Young people are more likely to have brief, acute episodes of back pain, while chronic pain is more characteristic of older people. Just over one in four people over the age of 65 suffered back pain for the whole year. Many people who contract pain find that there is no satisfactory cure for it after prolonged treatment. This makes them desperate and irritable.