Back pain, a communicable disease?

Abstract

Background

Back pain (BP) is a frequent disorder affecting currently up to 40% of adults inWestern Europe. Most of it is said to be ‘non-specific’, i.e. lacking an obvious patho-anatomical explanation. It is seldom the consequence of a contagious disease caused by microorganisms. This does not exclude it from being communicable if ‘communicable’ is to refer to something being transmitted by sharing or exchanging information.

Aim

To propose the hypothesis of BP being a communicable disease.

Methods and results

We base our hypothesis on a reanalysis of five German health surveys. They show a wide gap in BP prevalence between West and East Germany early after reunification. The gap consistently decreased to nearly zero in 2003. Work disability data followed a comparable course.

Discussion

Various processes may have contributed to the observed changes. Our hypothesis is corroborated by experimental research showing that BP-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviour could positively be influenced by media campaigns and by insights from another recent epidemic.

Back pain, epidemiology, Germany, communicable disease, hypothesis