Low back pain is the top cause of years lived with disability in the United States. A 2026 study found that about 43% of that disability is tied to three things people can change: extra body weight, smoking and physical strain at work. Small steps on any of them may help your back.
What the study found
Researchers used national estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study to look at low back pain in the US from 1990 to 2021. The study was published in the journal Medicine in August 2026.
- About 45 million Americans had low back pain in 2021. That is 40% more people than in 1990, mostly because the population grew and got older.
- Low back pain ranked first among causes of years lived with disability every year from 1990 to 2021.
- Three changeable factors were linked to the disability it causes: high body weight (about 21%), smoking (about 17%) and physical strain at work, such as lifting and awkward postures (about 13%). Together they made up about 43%.
- The most people with low back pain were ages 60 to 64, and rates were highest at ages 75 to 79. Women had higher rates than men.
- In Arizona, about 1.08 million people had low back pain in 2021, and the state's rate was above the national average.
The study has limits. It used modeled population estimates, not exams of individual patients. It shows links, not cause and effect, so it cannot say that changing these factors will ease any one person's pain. Only three risk factors could be measured.
What you can do at home
The NHS and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) offer this advice:
- Keep moving. Stay active and carry on with daily activities. Avoid long periods in bed.
- Exercise. Back exercises and stretches can help, and so can walking, swimming, yoga or pilates. AAOS adds that strengthening your core helps support your spine. Stop any exercise that makes the pain worse.
- Aim for a healthy weight. AAOS notes that extra body weight adds load to the spine and lower back.
- Avoid tobacco. AAOS says smoking is linked to a higher risk of low back pain.
- Lift with care. Get close to the load, bend your knees, tighten your stomach muscles and stand up with your legs. Turn with your feet instead of twisting. Ask for help with heavy or awkward loads, whether that's a golf bag, a pickleball cart or landscape rock.
- Sit smart. Use a chair that supports your lower back, and stand and stretch about once an hour.
- Try heat or cold. A heat pack or cold pack wrapped in a towel may ease soreness.
How chiropractic care fits in
At Foothills Chiropractic, care starts with an exam and a talk about your health history. Your chiropractor may use gentle adjustments, massage therapy and home exercises, along with tips for lifting and sitting. If you need a different kind of care, we refer you. Learn more on our Low Back Pain, Sciatica and Disc Pain, Posture and Desk Strain, Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy pages.
When to get checked
Get your back checked if:
- It has not improved after a few weeks of home care.
- It stops you doing your daily activities.
- You are worried about it.
- The pain is worse at night or when resting, or worse when you cough or sneeze.
- You have lost weight without trying.
Your back carries you through every round, game and hike. Call 480-488-1282 or request an appointment online.
