BACK PAIN
FACTS AND NUMBERS
Facts taken from an Irish Opinion Health survey which was
part of a wider analysis across 10 European countries.
48%
40%
ED
ORE
RM
KO
EE
W
SU
FF
E
62%
SU
RV
EY
IFIC
EC
SP
D TO WAIT OVER
AM
TS HA
IEN
ON
T
A
TH
P
OF
FO
RA
N AT LEA
I
A
P
K
C
A
ST
MB
ON
O
R
CE
DF
A
RE
W
ER
E
N - THE MOST COMMON TYP
K PAI
E OF
BAC
B
A
CK
LOW
PA
ITH
IN
DW
AIN FOR MORE T
SE
BACK P
HAN
NO
ROM
F
F
I
V
EY
AG
ED
EA
DI
FER
RS
UF
DS
HA
SIS
GNO
DIA
OF IR
ISH
PEO
PL
E
68%
68% SUFFERED FROM
BACK PAIN AT LEAST
ONCE A WEEK OR MORE
62% OF PATIENTS HAD TO
WAIT OVER A MONTH
FOR A SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS
48% OF IRISH PEOPLE SURVEYED
HAD SUFFERED FROM BACK PAIN
FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS
LOW BACK PAIN WAS
THE MOST COMMON
TYPE OF BACK PAIN
395,000
48%
OF PATIENTS
SAID THEY HAD
GIVEN UP
HOBBIES
TO COPE WITH
THEIR BACK PAIN
11 DAYS
OFF WORK
ADULTS
The average total
cost for a single
episode of low
back pain over
12 weeks is
€20,531
THE NUMBER OF DAYS
TAKEN ON AVERAGE
BY PEOPLE SUFFERING
FROM CHRONIC
BACK PAIN
7/10
sufferers took
painkillers before
consulting
a doctor
69%
OF NERVE-RELATED
BACK PAIN PATIENTS
REQUESTED TIME
AWAY FROM WORK
LAST YEAR
(11.9%; 95% CI =
(8.8%, 14.9%))
had low back pain or
another chronic back
condition in the
previous 12 months
that had been
clinically diagnosed
27%
OF PEOPLE
RECEIVING INCOME
SUPPORT DO SO
DUE TO CHRONIC
BACK PAIN MAKING IT
THE HIGHEST SINGLE
REASON FOR PEOPLE
CLAIMING INCOME
SUPPORT
After an initial episode of low back pain, 44-78%
of people suffer relapses of pain and 26-37%,
relapses of work absence.
REFERENCES
The economic cost of chronic noncancer pain in Ireland: Results from the PRIME study, part 2 Raftery M.N., Ryan P.,
Normand C., Murphy A.W., De La Harpe D., McGuire B.E. (2012) Journal of Pain, 13 (2) , pp. 139-145.
Institute of Public Health in Ireland (2012). Musculoskeletal Conditions Briefing: Technical Documentation.
Dublin: Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Adherence of Irish general practitioners to European guidelines for acute low back pain: a prospective pilot study’
(School of Physiotherapy and Performance Science, University College Dublin — Eur J Pain. 2007 Aug; 11(6):614-23)
Airaksinen et al (2004) EUROPEAN GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN.
On behalf of the COST B13 Working Group on Guidelines for Chronic Low Back Pain.