Senior Research Associate, Mapi Values, 15 Court Square, Suite 620 Boston, MA 02108, USA.
Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2006 Jun;6(3):359-69. doi: 10.1586/14737167.6.3.359.
Chronic low back pain is identified by the length of time a patient suffers from low back pain, the location of the pain and the etiology of the symptoms. Approximately 5-10% of patients with low back pain develop chronic low back pain that lasts longer than 3 months. There has been no consensus regarding the definition of low back pain; therefore, there is a wide variation in the prevalence estimates reported in the literature. Commonly used drugs for chronic low back pain include antidepressants, analgesics, antiepileptic drugs and muscle relaxants. In the USA, back pain is one of the most frequent reasons for hospitalization and physician visits, resulting in high medical care costs.
慢性下背痛的定义是患者背痛的持续时间、疼痛的位置和症状的病因。大约 5-10%的下背痛患者会发展为持续时间超过 3 个月的慢性下背痛。目前对于下背痛的定义还没有达成共识；因此，文献报道的患病率估计值差异很大。常用于慢性下背痛的药物包括抗抑郁药、镇痛药、抗癫痫药和肌肉松弛剂。在美国，背痛是住院和看医生最常见的原因之一，导致医疗费用高昂。
