Back pain is one the most prevalent medical issues of all human beings. It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. Almost 50 percent of working adults experience back pain every year. Second only to the common cold as the most significant cause of missed days of work, back pain can influence many aspects of the life of the back pain sufferer.

Days with family, friends, and engaging in leisure activities, sports, exercise, travel, and other hobbies and interests are also lost to back pain. While the toll it takes on a person's life can be measured in lost hours and days, the toll it takes on the psyche can be harder to understand. Stress and depression, while often byproducts of back pain, can also cause back pain as well.

Back pain is not categorized as a specific disease. Particularly in the case of low back pain, which is missed in medical examinations nearly 85 percent of the time, is hardly even diagnosable. Therefore, treatment of back pain remains more experimental than reliable. The only truly reliable treatment of back pain is prevention.

Prevention of back pain and the preservation of the strength and integrity of the spine column and the muscles of the back is crucial to the quality of life of the back pain sufferer. The spine is an interconnecting nerve, joint, muscle, and tendon network, which is complex and highly sensitive to misalignment and injury.

It is, therefore very important, that back pain sufferers make efforts to keep their backs healthy. Back pain sufferers should not limit themselves from normal, everyday activities and should return to them as soon as they possibly can. While activities like vigorous exercise and lifting are discouraged, gentle exercise is key in helping--particularly sufferers of low back pain--relieve pain, improve mobility, and increase circulation to the muscles of the lower back.

Swimming, walking, and bicycling are all excellent cardiovascular activities that benefit back pain sufferers. Gentle exercise programs that involve strengthening the abdominal and pelvic muscles are also thought to help lessen the strain on the weaker muscles of the back and aid in long-term relief of pain.

Proper care and maintenance of the spinal column itself is also important. Chiropractic care is one of the most effective ways to keep the back healthy and prevent back pain.

Chiropractic's "whole person" treatment plans not only incorporate spinal manipulation to reduce pressure on the cartilage and sensitive neurological tissue between the vertebrae, but they also addresses the psychological and lifestyle needs of the back pain sufferer. Chiropractors work with patients on developing stress-reduction strategies and helping them to refocus on activities that bring joy and fulfillment to their overall lives.

While back pain is likely to continue to affect the majority of the population for years to come, proper care of the back and efforts toward prevention of back pain can greatly alleviate the devastating effects and return suffers back to normal, happier lives.