Pain in the neck – global burden is increasing

Neck pain is becoming an increasingly common health problem across the globe, says research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

A team from the University of Queensland in Australia assessed data from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study and found that 4.9% of people worldwide are affected by neck pains. And in 2010, 33.6 million disability-adjusted life years (years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death) were associated with the condition, up from 23.9 million in 1990.

Neck pain was defined as pain in the neck with or without pain in one or both arms that lasts for at least one day.

A total of 291 conditions were studied in the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study; neck pain ranked fourth highest in terms of years lost due to disability and 21st in terms of overall burden.

“Neck pain is a common condition that causes substantial disability,” says the research team. “With ageing global populations, further research is urgently needed to better understand the predictors and clinical course of neck pain, as well as the ways in which neck pain can be prevented and better managed.”

To read the original research visit http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2014/01/30/annrheumdis-2013-204431.abstract.