Low back pain - epidemiology of consultations.

OBJECTIVES: Low back pain (LBP) affects most people at some stage in life. However, the burden on the health care system is unclear. We studied: 1) the one-year consultation prevalence 2) the rate of first-time consultation for LBP and related the frequency to other musculoskeletal conditions and 3) the health care utilization of LBP patients compared to the general population. METHODS: Using the health care register in southern Sweden (population 1.2 million), including diagnoses (ICD-10) by physicians, we identified all who in 2009 were diagnosed with LBP defined as lumbago with sciatica, low back pain, or other/unspecified dorsalgia. We defined first-time consultation as a consultation in 2009 without a record of a LBP diagnosis 2004-2008. Standardized health care utilization ratios were calculated for LBP patients compared to the general population seeking care. RESULTS: The one-year consultation prevalence of LBP in the population was 3.8% (women=4.3%, men=3.3%) and increased with age. LBP had been recorded in 17.1% of all patients (women=16.5%, men=18.0%) who had been diagnosed with any musculoskeletal condition. The rate of first-time consultation was 238 per 10,000 adults (women=265, men=209). The health care utilization ratio in female and male patients with LBP was 1.74 (95% CI 1.73-1.75) and 1.81 (95% CI 1.80-1.82) respectively. CONCLUSION: LBP, diagnosed in every 6(th) patient who consulted due to a musculoskeletal problem, is a public health concern that needs structured management. LBP patients consume close to twice as much health care as the general population and this warrants more awareness. © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology