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Disorders of the Back and Neck

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Family Medicine

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Abstract

Low back pain occurs in almost 80% of adults at some point in their lives.1 It is estimated that 1400 workdays per 1000 workers are lost each year in the United States because of low back pain.2 In many large industrial settings, low back pain is second only to upper respiratory infections as a cause for absence from work.3 Among chronic conditions, back problems are the most frequent cause for limitation of activity (work, housekeeping, school) among patients under 45 years of age.4 Although low back pain is usually a self-limited problem, it still costs approximately $51 billion per year in lost productivity and compensation.5 Fortunately, low back pain can be treated simply with a conservative regimen coupled with timely surgical intervention for a few patients plus aggressive rehabilitation for patients with chronic low back pain.6

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Authors
  1. Walter L. Calmbach
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, School of Medicine, Portland, 97201, OR, USA

    Robert B. Taylor M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Calmbach, W.L. (1994). Disorders of the Back and Neck. In: Taylor, R.B. (eds) Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_110

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_110

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4007-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4005-9

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