Studies Explore the Connection Between Back Pain and Mortality

Back pain and mortality? What craziness is this?

It's true, though. While back pain may not be the leading cause of death, it's a strong indicator of other health issues that can lead to mortality. The Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota School of medicine both performed a scientific review (meaning the evaluated a large collection of scientific studies) to first determine whether or not there actually is a link between back pain and mortality. And there was. Research also shows what patients and chiropractors can do to promote a happy, healthy and back-pain-free life.

The Research on Back Pain and Mortality

The mere presence of back pain was associated with an increased risk of mortality, and patients with more severe back pain measured at a 26% increased risk. Severe pain patients were marked by those who struggled to operate through their daily lives, experienced decreased mobility, weight gain and cardiovascular disease.

One link that's not so surprising is the use of drugs to find pain relief, which boosted mortality numbers for reasons like opioid overdose and overusing pain pills so much that it led to heart issues. Heart issues then led to mortality. Research also linked back pain to poor balance, resulting in falls that sometimes were deadly. And one surprising link: back pain and suicide, which makes sense because of the presence of pain pills and opioids and the potential for drug abuse.

What You and Your Chiropractor Can Do for Back Pain

The good news is you don’t have to sit or lie there and suffer, and you don't have to try and fix your back pain yourself. Instead, you can seek out quality chiropractic care for back pain relief. And it comes with many great perks:

• Chiropractic is drug-free, which protects you from drug overdose and inadvertently abusing pain pills. 
  
• Chiropractic can treat both acute and chronic back pain
  
• Chiropractors can coach you through back pain prevention tips, lifestyle habits and ergonomics in your workspace
  
• Research backs chiropractic as a method of treating and preventing back pain
  
• You seriously reduce the potential need for surgery to alleviate back pain with chiropractic care
  
• Chiropractic can reduce the duration and severity of back pain, if not eliminate it
  

So, got back pain? Skip the suffering and reduce your mortality risk by seeing your chiropractor.