Emorinken Airenakho, Erameh Cyril Oshomah, Akpasubi Blessyn Omoye, Dic-Ijiewere Mercy Ofunami, Ugheoke Asuwemhe Johnson
Department of Internal Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria.
Reumatologia. 2023;61(5):360-367. doi: 10.5114/reum/173377. Epub 2023 Oct 31.
Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition that poses significant public health challenges. However, its epidemiology in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural settings, remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of LBP in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital.
This was a retrospective review of the records of all LBP cases seen at the rheumatology clinic from 2018 to 2022 in a Teaching Hospital in South-South Nigeria. The sociodemographic and clinical data, including disability scores, was extracted from the patients' medical records. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25, and the level of significance was set at < 0.05.
Among 1,580 patients, 319 (20.2%) reported LBP. The mean age was 59.51 ±10.21, and the peak age incidence was 51-60 years. Low back pain was more prevalent in females (61.4%). Work-related factors (47.3%) such as heavy lifting (26.3%), prolonged sitting (19.4%), and poor posture (27.9%) were the prominent risk factors. Sedentary behavior (11.5%) and obesity (16.9%) contributed. Common clinical manifestations included difficulty standing or bending (73%), walking difficulties (67.7%), sleep disturbances (51.4%), and radicular pain (45.8%). Common etiologies were spondylosis (66.5%), spondylolisthesis (22.3%), disc prolapse (19.4%), spinal canal stenosis (15.4%), muscle spasm (12.2%), and tuberculous spondylitis (9.7%). Acute and chronic LBP constituted 12.2% and 79.9% of cases, respectively. In terms of disability, 33.5% had minimal, 44.5% had moderate, 15.4% had severe, and 6.6% had crippling disabilities.
Mechanical causes were the most implicated in LBP. Work-related factors and lifestyle choices contribute to the occurrence of LBP. Adjusting posture and lifestyle modification reduces LBP risk. Understanding its epidemiology is crucial for optimizing care and implementing preventive strategies.
下背痛（LBP）是一种常见的肌肉骨骼疾病，对公共卫生构成重大挑战。然而，其在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，尤其是农村地区的流行病学情况在很大程度上仍未得到充分研究。本研究旨在确定一家尼日利亚教学医院中下背痛的流行病学情况。
这是一项对2018年至2022年期间在尼日利亚南南地区一家教学医院的风湿病诊所就诊的所有下背痛病例记录进行的回顾性研究。从患者病历中提取社会人口统计学和临床数据，包括残疾评分。使用IBM SPSS 25版对数据进行分析，显著性水平设定为<0.05。
在1580名患者中，319人（20.2%）报告有下背痛。平均年龄为59.51±10.21岁，发病高峰年龄为51 - 60岁。下背痛在女性中更为普遍（61.4%）。与工作相关的因素（47.3%），如重物搬运（26.3%）、长时间坐着（19.4%）和不良姿势（27.9%）是主要危险因素。久坐行为（11.5%）和肥胖（16.9%）也有影响。常见临床表现包括站立或弯腰困难（73%）、行走困难（67.7%）、睡眠障碍（51.4%）和放射性疼痛（45.8%）。常见病因包括脊柱关节病（66.5%）、脊椎滑脱（22.3%）、椎间盘突出（19.4%）、椎管狭窄（15.4%）、肌肉痉挛（12.2%）和结核性脊柱炎（9.7%）。急性和慢性下背痛分别占病例的12.2%和79.9%。在残疾方面，33.5%为轻度残疾，44.5%为中度残疾，15.4%为重度残疾，6.6%为致残性残疾。
机械性原因在下背痛中最为常见。与工作相关的因素和生活方式选择会导致下背痛的发生。调整姿势和改变生活方式可降低下背痛风险。了解其流行病学情况对于优化护理和实施预防策略至关重要。
