Shetty Sunil H, S Amarnath S, Karmakar Arnab, Mitra Monjori, Madkholkar Nishikant, Pawar Roshan, Sharma Akhilesh
Orthopedics, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital, and Research Centre, Mumbai, IND.
Trauma and Orthopedics, Trinity Central Hospital, Bengaluru, IND.
Cureus. 2025 May 5;17(5):e83518. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83518. eCollection 2025 May.
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, including a significant portion of the Indian population; however, comprehensive epidemiological data are lacking. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, risk factors, and prescribing patterns for LBP in the Indian population.
This cross-sectional, retrospective study (CTRI/2025/01/079359 (registered on: January 24, 2025)) analyzed anonymized electronic medical record (EMR) data of 16866 patients from 76 private centers in 18 states across India, diagnosed with LBP between 2019 and 2023. The primary outcomes include the assessment of the prevalence of LBP across demographic and clinical subgroups, the distribution of treatment practices among various medical specialties, and the utilization of medication classes such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and calcium supplements. Secondary outcomes include the assessment of the prevalence of LBP categorized by sex, BMI, age group, and comorbidities, as well as the proportion of patients with LBP treated by physicians of different medical specialties. Anthropometric parameters, including weight, height, and body mass index (BMI), were assessed. The prevalence of LBP, associated symptoms, comorbidities, and prescribing trends were examined using statistical analyses.
Among 16866 patients diagnosed with LBP, the prevalence of LBP fluctuated across the five-year study period (2019-2023). From 3767 cases (22.33%) in 2019, prevalence declined sharply to 2762 cases (16.38%) in 2020 (χ² = 154.7, p < 0.001), followed by a significant increase to 3272 cases (19.40%) in 2021 (χ² = 43.11, p < 0.001 compared to 2020). Prevalence remained statistically stable in 2022 at 3248 cases (19.26%; χ² = 0.09, p = 0.766 compared to 2021), before rising significantly to 3817 cases (22.63%) in 2023 (χ² = 45.83, p < 0.001 compared to 2022). Notably, while the 2023 prevalence represented the highest point in the study period, it was not statistically different from the 2019 baseline (χ² = 0.33, p = 0.566). Females exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of LBP compared to males (11420 (67.71%) vs. 5546 (32.29%), p < 0.001). Additionally, 10328 (61.24%) patients were classified as overweight or obese. Among patients with comorbidities, 3870 (22.95%) patients presented with gastrointestinal disorders, 2763 (16.38%) had orthopedic conditions, and 2226 (13.20%) were diagnosed with hypertension. These conditions were identified as significant predictors of LBP. Calcium supplements were utilized by 4479 (26.56%) patients, NSAIDs by 4350 (25.79%), and NSAID-muscle relaxant combinations by 1342 (7.96%) patients, with a limited use of opioids in 633 (3.75%) patients.
This pan-Indian cross-sectional study highlighted LBP as a major health burden affecting anthropometric parameters. Key risk factors included female gender, young adulthood, and high BMI, emphasizing the need for targeted management strategies.
腰痛（LBP）是全球残疾的主要原因，包括很大一部分印度人口；然而，缺乏全面的流行病学数据。本研究旨在探讨印度人群中腰痛的患病率、危险因素和处方模式。
这项横断面回顾性研究（CTRI/2025/01/079359（于2025年1月24日注册））分析了印度18个邦76个私人中心16866例患者的匿名电子病历（EMR）数据，这些患者在2019年至2023年期间被诊断为腰痛。主要结果包括评估不同人口统计学和临床亚组中腰痛的患病率、各医学专科治疗方法的分布以及非甾体抗炎药（NSAIDs）和钙补充剂等药物类别的使用情况。次要结果包括按性别、BMI、年龄组和合并症分类评估腰痛的患病率，以及不同医学专科医生治疗的腰痛患者比例。评估了人体测量参数，包括体重、身高和体重指数（BMI）。使用统计分析检查腰痛的患病率、相关症状、合并症和处方趋势。
在16866例被诊断为腰痛的患者中，腰痛患病率在五年研究期间（2019 - 2023年）有所波动。从2019年的3767例（22.33%），患病率在2020年急剧下降至2762例（16.38%）（χ² = 154.7，p < 0.001），随后在2021年显著增加至3272例（19.40%）（与2020年相比，χ² = 43.11，p < 0.001）。2022年患病率在统计学上保持稳定，为3248例（19.26%；与2021年相比，χ² = 0.09，p = 0.766），然后在2023年显著上升至3817例（22.63%）（与2022年相比，χ² = 45.83，p < 0.001）。值得注意的是，虽然2023年的患病率是研究期间的最高点，但与2019年基线相比无统计学差异（χ² = 0.33，p = 0.566）。女性的腰痛患病率显著高于男性（11420例（67.71%）对5546例（32.29%），p < 0.001）。此外，10328例（61.24%）患者被归类为超重或肥胖。在合并症患者中，3870例（22.95%）患者患有胃肠道疾病，2763例（16.38%）患有骨科疾病，2226例（13.20%）被诊断为高血压。这些情况被确定为腰痛的重要预测因素。4479例（26.56%）患者使用了钙补充剂，4350例（25.79%）患者使用了NSAIDs，1342例（7.96%）患者使用了NSAID - 肌肉松弛剂组合，633例（3.75%）患者使用阿片类药物的情况有限。
这项全印度横断面研究强调腰痛是影响人体测量参数的主要健康负担。关键危险因素包括女性、青年期和高BMI，强调需要有针对性的管理策略。
