Lower back pain linked to genetics

Jun 05 2014

Virtually everyone in Denver knows someone who suffers from lower back pain. It might be a family member, a co-worker or a friend. In fact, because back problems are so prevalent, many of us know several people forced to live with back pain.

In some cases, the pain winds up preventing a person from working. In situations where someone can’t work for a year or more, or perhaps ever again, Social Security Disability Insurance can help replace some of the lost wages.

Many people with back problems know that when they go to their doctor, they don’t always come away sure of exactly why they’re suffering. That’s because doctors themselves aren’t always sure of the cause of the pain.

Researchers are now looking at the link between lower back discomfort and genetics. They say that while doctors have warned for years about the link between back pain and early disc degeneration, there are many people with bad discs who don’t live with pain.

The difference between those with bad discs and pain and those with bad discs and no pain might be found in their genes, a researcher said.

She noted that research 20 years ago showed that sets of twins will often have similar back problems, even though they do very different kinds of work that puts different kinds of strains on their backs. That suggests a genetic link that might be as culpable in back pain as a spinal injury.

For those who cannot work because of the pain, SSDI can provide crucial assistance. Unfortunately, many deserving applicants are denied benefits and are forced to appeal the decisions. For them, experienced attorneys can offer assistance on the complex legal appeals on which so much depends.

Source: News Medical, “Researchers investigate correlation between lower back pain and genes,” June 4, 2014