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23d • research at a glance
Prevalence of Back Pain in UK Adults Aged 40–70 and Evidence-Based Therapy Outcomes
Prevalence
  • Low back pain is highly prevalent in UK adults aged 40–70, with ~25–30% reporting back pain within any given month.
  • Prevalence peaks in the early 50s, but remains consistently high through age 70.
  • Chronicity increases with age, leading to higher rates of persistent or recurrent symptoms in this demographic.
Therapy Outcomes
Exercise & Physiotherapy
  • Structured exercise programmes provide small to moderate improvements in pain and functional ability.
  • Best outcomes occur with supervised or group-based programmes and good adherence.
  • Exercise is consistently more effective than passive modalities.
Psychological Interventions
  • CBT and ACT show strongest benefit when combined with physical rehabilitation.
  • Improvements are seen mainly in function, coping, and reduction in disability, rather than pain intensity alone.
  • Particularly valuable for chronic, non-specific low back pain.
Manual Therapy
  • Provides short-term symptom relief for some patients.
  • Evidence supports its use as an adjunct, not a stand-alone treatment.
  • Most effective when it facilitates active rehabilitation.
Interventional & Surgical Options
  • Injections: May benefit radicular or facet-related pain short term, but limited long-term impact.
  • Surgery: Most beneficial when a clear structural cause exists (e.g., radiculopathy, stenosis).
Clinical Perspective
  • Adults aged 40–70 represent a high-burden group for persistent back pain.
  • Evidence supports a multidisciplinary, biopsychosocial approach combining education, exercise, behavioural strategies, and expectation management.
  • No single modality is curative; best outcomes occur when interventions are integrated and sustained.
References
  1. MacFarlane GJ, Beasley M, Jones EA, et al. The prevalence and management of low back pain across adulthood: results from a population-based cross-sectional study (the MUSICIAN study). Pain. 2012;153(1):27-32. DOI:10.1016/j.pain.2011.08.005 PubMed+1
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management. NICE guideline NG59. Published 30 Nov 2016, updated Dec 2020. Nice+2NCBI+2
  3. Singh V, Parslow D, Smith R, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of physiotherapy interventions for low back pain. PMCID: PMC7934127. PMC
  4. Tran TH, Schmitt Y, Deldon K, et al. Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy combined with physical therapy in patients with chronic low back pain. PMC article. PMC
  5. Leung T-W, Chung R, Ma Y, et al. The effect of cognitive behavioural therapy on pain and disability in chronic non-specific low back pain: a systematic review. PLOS One. PLOS
  6. NIHR Evidence. Cognitive behavioural therapy may help people with persistent low back pain. NIHR alert. NIHR Evidence
  7. O’Keeffe M, Hayes S, O’Sullivan P, et al. Individualised cognitive functional therapy compared with a combined exercise and manual therapy intervention for chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.BMJ Open. 2015;5(6):e007156. BMJ Open
  8. Miki T, Kamper SJ, Roussel NA, et al. The effect of cognitive functional therapy for chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BioPsychoSocial Medicine. 2022. BioMed Central
  9. Rushton A, Heneghan NR, Heymans MW, et al. Clinical course of pain and disability following primary lumbar discectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Spine Journal. 2020;29:1660–1670. Springer Link
  10. Liu C, Tabaković I, Szetajnković M. Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for sciatica: systematic review. BMJ. 2023. BMJ
  11. NHS / Local policy: Cheshire & Merseyside NHS. Spinal decompression for low back pain & sciatica policy. (Cites NICE NG59 for surgical selection.)
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Prevalence of Back Pain in UK Adults Aged 40–70 and Evidence-Based Therapy Outcomes
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