Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - "Is Back Pain in Your Genes?"

This research done by, Prof. Gregory Livshits of Tel Aviv University's Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, sheds some interesting light on another overlooked cause of back pain; your genes! This study appeared in the journal; Annals of Rheumatic Diseases and looked to determine a genetic link to back pain. What it found suggests that back pain can indeed run in families.

The study in question looked at over 2500 participants from the UK made up of identical and non-identical female twins! Professor Livshits and his team looked at several risk factors including; smoking, weight, physical work, vertebral disc degeneration and genetic predisposition. It is commonly thought that as mostly upright beings, humans are very susceptible to degeneration of the spinal discs, especially in the lower back region. This degeneration and injury over time can often lead to increased bouts of pain. 

Researchers relied on MRIs of the spine; radiographic assessment of the body lean, fat and bone mass; and blood samples for DNA extraction, genotyping and testing blood for potential biomarkers associated with joint disease.What the team found was very interesting indeed. They concluded that in non-identical twins, those who only share half of their genetic material, patients were 3 times more likely to suffer from back pain if their twin did as well. However, with identical twins, those who share all of their genes, the likelihood of suffering from back pain if your twin did as well jumped to 6 times!

Another interesting finding from the study is that intervertebral disc degeneration is often thought to be directly associated with low back pain. However, this study suggests that's not always the case.

These researchers found that these two factors could be independent of each other and each could have a unique genetic component. This study could have a significant impact on the future treatment, diagnosis and even screening of low back pain patients. But even Prof. Livshits admits more research of a broader nature is required. 

The take home message is that the causes of low back pain can be very obvious and clear in many cases. Unfortunately, in other situations, the cause can be baffling and very obscure for a patient. Risk factors such as smoking, weight, poor mattresses and now genetics are not often obvious causes of back pain but it just goes to show that with so many potential factors, pinpointing an exact cause can be extremely difficult. 

From a clinicians standpoint I would recommend that you look around at your family members to gauge your risk of developing back pain. Look at your brothers, sisters and even your parents. If you notice that a lot of them suffer or have suffered from severe bouts of back pain or arthritis, you probably should be taking better care of your back. But remember, if you ever find yourself suffering from back pain, your Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor is just a click or a phone call away!

Visit the website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC


Reference:
 Lumbar disc degeneration and genetic factors are the main risk factors for low back pain in women: the UK Twin Spine Study
 Gregory Livshits et al.

  Ann Rheum Dis doi:10.1136/ard.2010.137836