| According to a new analysis of national survey data, 8.2 percent of American adults have chronic severe back pain, and about three-quarters (74.8 percent) of those with chronic severe back pain have difficulties with mobility, social participation, self-care, or work participation. The analysis, conducted by researchers at the Universit de Montral and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, was published inThe Journal of Pain. Low-back pain is a very common problem. Its the most frequent cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work-days and visits to physicians. Preventing low-back pain from becoming chronic is a high priority. Most previous studies of chronicity and disability associated with low-back pain have been clinic based, with few population-based studies. | 