Hello, ralfborchert-ga!
I tried very hard to find articles which stated the source of their
statistics. Often, however, there was no link to the source data
attached, or the reference that was cited was not publicly available.
In all cases, I performed further searches for the source stated, and
included them IF they could be found!
Statistics are all over the place, and while I often found articles
citing the same numbers, they included no sources. This was extremely
frustrating since many hours were spent finding information that I
could not include due to a lack of citation.
There is no doubt that there is a dearth of dollar-value information
concerning back pain in developed countries. While there is no
shortage of references to the widespread nature of this condition,
dollar figures are extremely hard to uncover.
I truly hope you can use the following information. Though it does
not appear so, it represents about ten hours of searching!
***************
United States
***************
"Costs associated with back pain are estimated to range between $50
billion and $100 billion each year. Medical care accounts for about
one-third of costs, while the remainder includes lost wages,
disability payments, and retraining costs. [10] Only five percent of
people with back pain become permanently or temporarily disabled, but
these people account for 75 percent of back pain costs.
Cited source: Frymoyer JW and Cats-Baril WL. (1991). "An overview of
the incidences and costs of low back pain." Orthopedic Clinics of
North America, 22: 263-272.
From Facts of Life: Issue Briefings for Health Reporters. Vol. 5, No.
1 January 2000. Special Series: Collaborative Management of Chronic
Conditions "Chronic Back Pain Yields to Collaborative, Team Approach"
http://www.cfah.org/factsoflife/vol5no1.cfm
==
"Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the
most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor
to missed work. Back pain is the second most common neurological
ailment in the United States."
From the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
National Institute of Health. Updated November 23, 2005.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm
==
"Estimates of the total cost of low back pain to society in 1990 were
between $50 billion and $100 billion per year, with a significant
share (about $11 billion) borne by the workers' compensation system.
Moreover, as many as 30% of American workers are employed in jobs that
routinely require them to perform activities that may increase risk of
developing low back disorders."
From "Low Back Disorders." National Insitute for Occupational Safety
and Health. CDC. http://www2.cdc.gov/NORA/NaddinfoLowBack.html
==
"Lost time from work and disability payments for work-related low back
problems cost up to three times as much as actual medical procedures.
Estimates of total costs of direct medical and indirect expenses for
low back pain in the United States range from $20 to $100 billion
annually. Spine care results in expenditures two to three times
greater than cardiac services for many health plans."
(Cited Source) SnookSH. The costs of back pain in industry. Occup
Med. 1988;3:1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2963383&dopt=Abstract
From "The Facts on Back Pain." West Michigan Spine.
http://westmichiganspine.com/e_facts.html
==
"Acute low back pain is the fifth most common reason for all physician
visits. (1) Even though this ailment usually has a benign course, it
is responsible for direct health care expenditures of more than $20
billion annually and as much as $50 billion per year when indirect
costs are included. (2)
Reference cited (2) Deyo RA, Cherkin D, Conrad D, Volinn E. Cost,
controversy, crisis: low back pain and the health of the public. Annu
Rev Public Health 1991;12:141-56.
From "Diagnosis and Management of Acute Low Back Pain." ATUL T. PATEL,
M.D., and ABNA A. OGLE, M.D. American Academy of Family Physicians.
Vol. 61/No. 6 (March 15, 2000)
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000315/1779.html
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CANADA
*******
The ONLY reference I could find to dollar costs that had any citation is below!
"Health Canada has estimated that musculoskeletal disorders including
back pain cost society $16.4 billion in combined direct (treatment and
rehabilitation) and indirect (lost productivity) costs.(1) Other
studies have estimated the total cost of musculoskeletal disorders at
$25.6 billion with back and spine disorders accounting for $8.1
billion.(2)"
(1) Health Canada. Policy Research Division, Strategic Policy.
Directorate, Population and Public Health Branch. Economic Burden of
Illness in Canada, 1998.
2) Cote P.C., et al. (1998). The Economic cost of musculoskeletal
disorders in Canada. Arthritis Care Res. Oct; 11(5): 315-325, 1998.
From "Delisting chiropractic care will have devastating impact."
Ontario Budget Reaction. 2004
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2004/18/c4936.html?view=print
=
Health Canada website
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
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NETHERLANDS
************
"In this study we estimated the costs of back pain to society in The
Netherlands in 1991 to be 1.7% of the GNP. The results also show that
musculoskeletal diseases are the fifth most expensive disease category
regarding hospital care, and the most expensive regarding work
absenteeism and disablement. One-third of the hospital care costs and
one-half of the costs of absenteeism and disablement due to
musculoskeletal disease were due to back pain. The total direct
medical costs of back pain were estimated at US$367.6 million. The
total costs of hospital care due to back pain constituted the largest
part of the direct medical costs and were estimated at US$200 million.
The mean costs of hospital care for back pain per case were US$3856
for an inpatient and US$199 for an outpatient. The total indirect
costs of back pain for the entire labour force in The Netherlands in
1991 were estimated at US$4.6 billion; US$3.1 billion was due to
absenteeism and US$1.5 billion to disablement. The mean costs per case
of absenteeism and disablement due to back pain were US$4622 and
US$9493, respectively. The indirect costs constituted 93% of the total
costs of back pain, the direct medical costs contributed only 7%. It
is therefore concluded that back pain is not only a major medical
problem but also a major economical problem."
From "A cost-of-illness study of back pain in The Netherlands." van
Tulder MW, Koes BW, Bouter LM. Pain. 1995 Aug;62(2):233-40.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=8545149&dopt=Abstract
****************
UNITED KINGDOM
****************
Costs within the NHS for Back Pain:
"The estimated cost to the NHS is £481 million a year (min-max range
£356 - 649 million), with non NHS costs (such as private consultations
and prescriptions) being an additional £197 million. Costs of DSS
benefits is estimated at about £1.4 billion with lost production
estimated at £3.8 billion. This breaks down to an annual NHS cost to a
purchasing authority of 250,000 people of £2.2 million (range £1.6 -
£2.9 million). A typical GP practice with five GPs and 10,000 patients
would bear costs of about £88,000 (range £65,000 - £118,000)."
From "Back Pain." Bandolier. Sept. 1995
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band19/b19-1.html
==
"The direct healthcare costs of back pain are huge, including £141
million each year for GP consultations, £150.6 million for NHS
physiotherapy and £512 million for hospital care (inpatient,
outpatient and emergency). Overall, back pain costs the NHS and
community care services more than £1 billion each year - and with £565
million also spent on private services, the direct annual healthcare
costs are over £1.6 billion.3
Cited reference (3)- Maniadakis A., Gray A, The economic burden of
back pain in the UK Pain 2000 84 95-103
From BackCare: http://www.backcare.org.uk/backhealth/yourback/factfile/index.php?phrase_id=20207
=
Abstract of the above cited article:
"The economic burden of back pain in the UK." Maniadakis N, Gray A.
Pain. 2000 Jan;84(1):95-103.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10601677&dopt=Abstract
"This paper reports the results of a 'cost-of-illness' study of the
socio-economic costs of back pain in the UK. It estimates the direct
health care cost of back pain in 1998 to be pound1632 million.
Approximately 35% of this cost relates to services provided in the
private sector and thus is most likely paid for directly by patients
and their families. With respect to the distribution of cost across
different providers, 37% relates to care provided by physiotherapists
and allied specialists, 31% is incurred in the hospital sector, 14%
relates to primary care, 7% to medication, 6% to community care and 5%
to radiology and imaging used for investigation purposes. However, the
direct cost of back pain is insignificant compared to the cost of
informal care and the production losses related to it, which total
pound10668 million. Overall, back pain is one of the most costly
conditions for which an economic analysis has been carried out in the
UK and this is in line with findings in other countries."
(You will need to subscribe to read full text online)
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AUSTRALIA
**********
From the report, "Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in
Australia, 2005 -"Table 7.2: Health expenditure by type of arthritis
or musculoskeletal condition, 2000 - 01". Australian Bureau of
Statistics. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/phe/amca05/amca05-c07.pdf
Disease Group Expenditure
Chronic Back Pain - 566.9 Million
Slipped Disk - 298.5 million
==
From "Breaking the back of back pain." Editorial. MJA 2001; 175: 456-457
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/175_09_051101/buchbinder/buchbinder.html
"Disability from low back pain is a growing public health problem in
Australia and developed countries worldwide, and one of the major
issues targeted in the Bone and Joint Decade (2000-2010).(1) Most
population-based surveys of back pain report a point prevalence of
15%-30%, a one-year prevalence of 50%, and a lifetime prevalence of
60%-80%.(2) Although episodes of acute low back pain are mostly
short-lived, back complaints still constitute the second most common
symptom (after upper respiratory complaints) prompting general
practice encounters.(3) Furthermore, disability from back pain places
a significant socioeconomic burden on the individual and the
community.
"In Australia, back problems are the leading specific musculoskeletal
cause of health system expenditure, with an estimated total cost of
$700 million in 1993-1994.(4)
"Moreover, these costs are rising: in Victoria alone, claims lodged
for back injury with the workers' compensation scheme cost the
community $510 million in the 1999-2000 financial year.(5)
See citations:
4. Mathers C, Penn R. Health system costs of injury, poisoning and
musculo-skeletal disorders in Australia 1993-94. Canberra: Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, 1999. AIHW Catalogue No. HWE 12
(Health and Welfare Expenditure Series No. 6).
5. Annual Report Victorian WorkCover Authority 1999/2000. Melbourne
(VIC): Victorian WorkCover Authority, 2001
*************
SOUTH AFRICA
*************
The ONLY reference I could find:
From Health 24:
"At least 80% of South Africa's workforce is suffering from severe
discomfort and even disability due to problems which arise from lower
back pain. Although there are no official figures available on the
cost of disability, it is estimated that worker disability in 1999
cost the economy more than R2 billion according to the SA Society of
Physiotherapy." http://www.health24.com/fitness/Specific_Sports/16-2175-2187-2277,30164.asp
* There is nothing published on the SA Society of Physiotherapy
website that I can find without a membership, and I have found this
statistic no where else. http://www.physiosa.org.za/
********
IRELAND
********
"Researchers at the University of Ulster have carried out the first
ever study into the treatment of lower back pain by physiotherapists.
The survey covered over 1000 patients and 175 physiotherapists and was
conducted by the Rehabilitative Sciences Research Group at the
University. This group is the largest of its kind with eight staff and
15 postgraduates attached to it. Dr David Baxter, Professor of
Rehabilitative Science at the University said:
"The cost of low back pain, in terms of treatment and days lost at
work is very high. It has been estimated that the cost to the health
service in Northern Ireland of the back pain of health services
employees is in the range of £1.5 million pounds. That's more than the
entire health service budget for research."
From University of Ulster - 1997 Back Pain Week.
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/releases/1997/20.html
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NEW ZEALAND
************
"Low Back Pain (LBP) has been described as the most common, most
costly and disabling musculoskeletal condition. (1) Since World War 2,
a dramatic increase in LBP disability has been observed, at a rate
disproportionate to all other health conditions. (2) In New Zealand,
this is reflected by the numbers of, and costs to, the Accident
Compensation Corporation (ACC) for back pain claims- in 2000-2001,
10,968 new claims cost $30 million and 6,660 ongoing claims cost $68
million. (3)
"The majority of persons with LBP recover within 2 months, but 2-3%
eventually develop disabling chronic LBP (DCLBP)1 - these patients
accounting for 80% of the costs of compensation. LBP, therefore, has
major socioeconomic implications; with many of the tangible costs
related to disability and compensation.
(See sources cited..)
From "Low back pain in young New Zealanders." David McBride, Dorothy
Begg, Peter Herbison, Ken Buckingham. New Zealand Medical Journal. Vol
117 No 1203 ISSN 1175 8716
http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/117-1203/1099/content.pdf
********
GERMANY
********
"Back pain causes high costs to society. In Germany, these amount to
an estimated total of 5 billion euro of direct costs per year and 13
billion euro of indirect costs, the latter being caused by incapacity
to work."
(you can purchase access to the full article, which is in German, but
which may include a footnote for the source of this figure)
From "Economic rehabilitation management among patients with chronic
low back pain." Seitz R, Schweikert B, Jacobi E, Tschirdewahn B, Leidl
R. Schmerz. 2001 Dec;15(6):448-52.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11793150&dopt=Abstract
==
No citation to study mentioned:
"In 1998, it was estimated that the direct annual health care cost of
back pain in Germany totals DM 10 billion, with indirect costs more
than double this. In Britain, the direct cost of back pain amounted to
£1.6 billion in 1998, while other costs and production losses were
estimated to be more than £10 billion. In Spain, the average annual
cost of workers' compensation claims for lower back pain was PTA 11
billion between 1993 and 1997."
From "Taking back pain seriously." High Tech Finland
http://www.hightechfinland.com/2002/healthcare-lifesciences/sivu.php?id=dbcinternational&listby
***********
ADDITIONAL
***********
To see statistics on back pain by country (not dollars, though), take
a look at the following chart:
"Statistics by Country for Back pain."
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/b/back_pain/stats-country.htm
==
United States, UK and Netherlands:
From "HEALTH EXPENDITURE: AN ?INVESTMENT? RATHER THAN A COST? "IEP
Working Paper. July 2005
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:g_jFmD3ZNW4J:www.riia.org/pdf/research/ie/WPhealth.pdf+%C2%A31.6+billion+Britain+back+pain&hl=en&start=10
Case 5: The economic burden of low back pain
"In the Netherlands, in 1991, short-term indirect costs of back pain
were estimated to range between US$1.5 and US$4.6 billion, accounting
for 2.8% of GDP (Hutubessy et al., 1999). For the USA, in 1998, the
annual cost of lost work time associated with chronic low back pain
was US$1,230 per male and US$773 per female, amounting to an annual
productivity loss of US$28 billion (Rizzo et al., 1998). For the UK,
in 1998, the direct costs were estimated to be £1.6 billion, and
overall costs between £6.6 and £12.3 billion (Maniadakis and Gray,
2000)."
==
No source citation in following article:
In Europe the prevalence rate for law back pain is approximately 10 %
of the general population (38 Million patients). 20 - 30 % of patients
visiting general practitioners are back pain patients. In many
countries it is the leading cause of sick leave from work, amounting
to enormous indirect costs (e.g. 21.4 billion DM in Germany).
From "1997-1998 Muscle Spasm European Expert Group Award. "Muscle
spasm and pain". Oct. 05, 98
http://www.total.com/en/press/press_releases/pr_1998/981005_muscle_spasm_award_1794.htm
==
The following market report may have some medication expense
information related to low back pain;
"CHRONIC LOWBACK PAIN." Pain Study #3. Decision Resources, Inc. May 2005
http://www.dresources.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/pdf/dr_008650.pdf
http://www.dresources.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/abstract/dr_008651.hcsp
==
Again, I hope these statistics are useful in your research!
Sincerely,
umiat
Search Strategy (these are just a fration!)
* billion spent on back pain 2004
back pain AND (country name)
cost of back pain in (country name)
billion per year on back pain in (country name)
spent on back pain in (country name)
back pain healthcare cost AND (country name)
cost of alleviating back pain AND (country name)
back pain AND spend OR cost AND (country name)
cost of low back pain AND (country name)
billion spent on back pain in the world
annual cost AND back pain AND (country name)
Germany back pain costs OR spend OR spent
canadian statistics for back pain
Canada AND back pain AND cost OR spend
back pain cost society a total of $16.4 billion AND Canada |
