Healthy Back Day: Avoiding Chronic Pain

Medicine & Science Back pain is a widespread disease: it affects almost two million people in Austria. To mark the Healthy Back Day on 15 March 2023, MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna will be reporting on ways of treating and preventing back pain. The two institutions are also launching the "Back Health 24/7/365" initiative with the aim of reducing the burden on healthcare workers and keeping them healthy. In Austria, almost two million people are affected by back pain - women more often than men. Age also plays a role: the older a person, the more frequent are the complaints. Every fifth person in the under-60 age group is affected, and more than every third person in the over-60 age group. "If diagnosis and therapy were carried out across the board and in accordance with guidelines, a large proportion of healthcare costs could be saved by avoiding chronic pain," says Richard Crevenna, Head of the Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna.