Widespread disease back pain: 70% suffer every month
Back pain is widespread: 70% of respondents in a new study said they suffer from it at least once a month. Office workers are particularly frequently affected.
Almost everyone knows the feeling when, at the end of a long working day, the back is tense and aches. Current figures on this are published by the German health initiative Healthy back action before: The AGR Back Report, a specially conducted survey from 2016 with over 1,000 participants, provides a picture of the general back pain situation. The most important finding: back pain is still widespread. 70 percent of respondents say they suffer from it at least once a month, and around two-thirds feel their pain limits their quality of life. In Switzerland, the figures are probably comparable: The Rheumatism League Switzerland estimates that 80% of all adults suffer from back pain at least once in their lifetime.
Risk factor office job
Office workers are frequently affected by back pain: 44 percent of people with office jobs experience back pain at least once a week. In many cases, the reason for this is the predominantly sedentary working posture, which can cause the musculature of the musculoskeletal system to atrophy.
Back pain: not a question of age
The figures of the AGR Back Report show: Back pain is not a question of age. Almost two-thirds of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 say they suffer from it at least once a month - half of them even once a week or more. According to the Healthy Back Campaign, several factors are probably responsible. As with adult patients, a combination of too much sitting and too little movement promotes the development of complaints.
Tested & recommended: Seal of quality for back-friendly everyday objects
Around 73 percent of participants believe that back-friendly everyday products can help prevent back pain. The respondents attach the most importance to back-friendliness when it comes to beds and office furniture. Almost 87 percent think that an independent seal of approval can be helpful in identifying back-friendly products.
The AGR's "Tested & Recommended" seal of quality distinguishes everyday products that are suitable for the back. To be certified by AGR, products not only have to meet a catalog of criteria, but are also examined and tested by a medical-therapeutic panel of experts.
Back healthy in (almost) all areas of life
In order to combat the widespread disease of back pain, several starting points are important. For example, back-friendly everyday objects can be used in almost every area of life. There are now AGR-certified car seats, sports equipment, seating furniture, shoes, bed systems, mattresses, lights, tools, gardening equipment and many other products. Furthermore, targeted back exercises can prevent pain and tension. The AGR portal is helpful for this www.agr-coach.de with many exercise videos. The most important thing is to solve the back pain problem holistically: Continuous changes help more than selective measures.
Text: Action healthy back
