- Significant Drop in Mobility Due to Chronic Low Back Pain
(CLBP) Demonstrated in New Mobility Index, with Highest Drop Among
Those in Their 50s
- Treatment is Deficient with 15% Currently Taking Opioids
Despite CDC Guidelines Noting Inadequate Effectiveness and Inherent
Risks
- Only 5% Utilizing Recommended Minimally Invasive Treatment
Options
NEW
YORK, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harris
Poll, a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) agency, announced today
complete results from a landmark survey, "Mobility Matters: Chronic
Low Back Pain in America," sponsored by Vertos Medical as part of
its national health awareness campaign, Know Your Back Story. The
nationally representative survey estimates that more than 72.3
million U.S. adults – 28% of the adult population – suffer from
chronic low back pain (CLBP), higher than previously
reported1,2, and greater than arthritis (58.5
million),3 diabetes (37.3 million),4 or
heart disease (30.3 million).5 More than
three-fourths (76%) say CLBP has interfered with their ability to
complete everyday tasks. Treatment for CLBP was shown to be
deficient, with too many sufferers taking opioids (15%) despite
updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control noting
inadequate effectiveness and inherent risks,6 and only
5% utilizing minimally invasive lumbar decompression treatment
options which are now considered appropriate for earlier
use.7
More than 72.3 million U.S. adults – 28% of
the adult population – suffer from chronic low back pain.
Other key findings (Click here for Executive Summary and here
for Presentation) include:
CLBP Has Significant Impact on Mobility and Long-term
Negative Impact on Life
- More than half (53%) say CLBP has had a major or moderate
negative impact on their quality of life
- More than one third of CLBP sufferers (36%) report their CLBP
is "severe", "very severe", or the "worst pain possible"
- 44% report that they've been experiencing CLBP for 5 years or
more
- New Mobility Index, based on survey data, shows significant
drop (~20 points on a scale of 0 to 100) in CLBP sufferers' ability
to move, with the highest drop seen among those in their 50s
Lack of Knowledge About CLBP Causes and Need for Better
Treatment Options and Hope
- More than one-third of CLBP sufferers (37%) have never been
told by a healthcare professional what causes their CLBP, despite
86% strongly or somewhat agreeing that it is important to know the
specific cause so their CLBP can be managed effectively
- Only 2 in 5 (39%) have ever been told that CLBP can be caused
by lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a condition often caused by an
enlarged ligament compressing spinal nerves8
- Four out of 5 CLBP sufferers (82%) experience at least one
symptom consistent with LSS, yet nearly 4 out of 5 (78%) do not
know an enlarged ligament can cause CLBP
- The vast majority (84%) say they wish there were better
treatment options for their CLBP
- 78% have accepted CLBP as part of their life, despite treatment
advances that might help address the cause of CLBP
"These survey results demonstrate that people with chronic low
back pain are suffering greatly over long periods of time, and many
have resigned themselves to living in a debilitated state," said
Kathy Steinberg, Vice President of
Media and Communications Research at The Harris Poll. "The fact
that more than a third are not being told what is causing their
pain, such as LSS or an enlarged ligament, makes it more difficult
to treat that pain. It is also alarming that opioid use is still
high in people with back pain while other treatments such as
minimally invasive procedures are not playing more of a role given
the latest treatment guidelines.7 Taken together, these
findings suggest more awareness is needed to help people determine
the cause of their pain and an appropriate treatment regimen to
help them find relief."
Mobility Index and Findings
The landmark survey data
was also used to generate a Mobility Index, based on survey
participants' ratings of their overall mobility; ability to do
specific physical activities; and level of agreement with
statements about mobility, pain, physical limitations, and ability
to complete everyday tasks. The scores on the individual items were
combined so that the Mobility Index ranged from zero (no mobility)
to 100 (the highest level of mobility).
The overall results show that the average Mobility Index is 57.0
for CLBP sufferers vs. 76.4 for adults without CLBP. This
approximate 20-point difference is consistent across most decade
age groups, with the highest drop among those in their 50s,
underscoring that this debilitating disease progresses with age and
the importance of early intervention. Further, Harris Poll ran
step-wise regression to isolate the individual impacts of nearly a
dozen common chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes,
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and stroke), and CLBP was the
leading cause of reduced mobility (see chart above; See also Full
Report here). As indicated in the chart above, individuals with
CLBP have their Mobility Index score reduced by almost 15 points
solely due to their chronic low back pain, meaning that, of the
20-point gap in Mobility Index between those with CLBP and those
without CLBP, nearly 15 points is due to CLBP alone.
"As people age, it can be difficult to assess what mobility
challenges are a normal part of aging or a condition that may be
treatable, such as chronic low back pain," said Peter Pryzbylkowski, MD, a contributor to the
Mobility Matters Survey and Board Certified Pain Specialist
and Anesthesiologist from Relievus Pain Management. "People with
CLBP can visit knowyourbackstory.com to learn more about their
condition and the Mobility Index. An especially important step is
to see a spine health physician to decide on a treatment plan and
get moving again."
Methodology for Mobility Matters: Chronic Low Back Pain in
America and the First-Ever Mobility Index
The Mobility
Matters: Landmark Survey on Chronic Low Back Pain in America and
Mobility Index was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf
of Vertos Medical among 5,020 adults ages 18+, including 1,521
adults who currently experience chronic low back pain and/or
sciatic pain, i.e., back pain that runs into the hips and legs
("CLBP sufferers"). The survey was conducted May 12 – May 20,
2022. Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender,
race/ethnicity, region, education, household income, household
size, and marital status to bring them in line with their actual
proportions in the U.S. adult population, allowing estimates of the
prevalence and magnitude of survey responses to be extrapolated to
this population.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who
have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision
of Harris online polls is measured
by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample
data are accurate to within +/- 1.7 percentage points using a 95%
confidence level for the total sample of U.S. adults, and +/- 3.0
percentage points using a 95% confidence level for CLBP sufferers.
This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed
population of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or
not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple
sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or
estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error
associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording
and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
Due to weighting, computer rounding and/or the acceptance of
multiple responses, percentages may not add to 100%.
About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global
consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the
authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a
better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas:
building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand
strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media
through public relations research. One of the longest-running
surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion,
motivations and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of
Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform
marketing.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger network
built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative
performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting
culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize
the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+
specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to
drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients.
Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
About Vertos Medical, Inc.
Vertos Medical Inc. is a
medical device company committed to developing innovative,
minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis
(LSS). mild®, its proprietary technology, is a safe and
minimally invasive outpatient procedure designed to restore space
in the spinal canal through an incision smaller than the size of a
baby aspirin. Learn more at www.Vertosmed.com.
References
1 Meucci RD, Fassa AG, Faria NM. Prevalence of
chronic low back pain : systematic review. Rev Saude Publica. 2015;49:1.
doi:10.1590/S0034-8910.2015049005874
2 Shmagel A, Foley R, Ibrahim H. Epidemiology of Chronic
Low Back Pain in US Adults: Data From the 2009-2010 National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken).
2016;68(11):1688-1694. doi:10.1002/acr.22890
3 Barbour KE, Helmick CG, Boring M, Brady TJ.
Vital Signs: Prevalence of
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Limitation—United States, 2013–2015. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
2017;66:246–253. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6609e1.
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National
Diabetes Statistics Report. Available:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html.
Accessed June 18, 2022.
5 HealthLine. Heart Disease: Facts, Statistics, and You.
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https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/statistics#Who-is-at-risk?.
Accessed June 18, 2022.
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acute low
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https://www.cdc.gov/acute-pain/low-back-pain/index.html. Accessed
July 21, 2022.
7 Deer TR, Grider JS, Pope JE, et al. Best Practices for
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Treatment 2.0 (MIST):
Consensus Guidance from the American Society of Pain and
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May 5. doi:10.2147/JPR.S355285
8 Hansson T, Suzuki N, Hebelka H, Gaulitz A. The
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Doi:10.1007/s00586-009-0919-7.
CONTACT:
Sarah Arvizo
pr@stagwellglobal.com
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