Increasing Back Pain with Age... "Proper Posture, Consistent Exercise"

Back pain stock photo. [Image source=Getty Images]

The number of patients complaining of 'back pain' has been gradually increasing every year. Since it is closely related to degenerative changes in the body, maintaining good habits such as proper posture and regular exercise helps in prevention.

The National Health Insurance Service announced on the 16th the status of health insurance treatment for 'back pain (M54)' from 2017 to 2021 using health insurance treatment data. The number of patients increased by 340,581 (6.6%) from 5,123,996 in 2017 to 5,464,577 in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 1.6%. As of 2021, the total medical expenses for back pain amounted to 1.1883 trillion KRW, a 45.8% increase compared to 2017. The average medical expense per person was 217,000 KRW.

By gender, females numbered 3,103,244, more than males (2,361,333). However, male patients increased by 10.7% over five years, a larger increase than females (3.8%). By age group, those in their 70s were the largest at 21,197, followed by those in their 80s at 20,018, and those in their 60s at 15,975. Professor Jangwoo Lee of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital explained, "Back pain is often caused by trauma, lack of flexibility, decreased muscle strength, poor posture, and repetitive strain, so the likelihood of back pain increases with age."

Back pain refers to various conditions causing pain in the back, the posterior part of the body from the shoulders to the hip joints. While many often think of a herniated disc, multiple musculoskeletal structures such as vertebrae, joints, ligaments, muscles, fascia, and nerves can cause back pain. When pain is limited to the back, pelvis, or buttocks, it is called 'axial pain,' which is likely due to local causes or symptoms from internal organs. If radiating pain extends to the legs, nerve compression or inflammation can be suspected. Musculoskeletal disorders worsen with activity or specific movements. However, back pain caused by systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic diseases, or tumors may not be strongly related to activity.

To prevent back pain caused by musculoskeletal disorders, maintaining proper posture and exercising regularly are most important. Efforts to maintain the appropriate curvature of the spine are necessary, and it is advisable to avoid excessive backward bending or bending forward of the waist. It is beneficial to consistently perform exercises that maintain proper strength and flexibility of the back, abdominal muscles, and lower limbs. Professor Lee said, "He recommends aerobic exercise such as brisk walking while engaging the abdomen, and aquarobics is also one of the good exercise methods," adding, "General health management such as quitting smoking, managing weight, and stress also helps prevent back pain."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.