Background: Evaluating clinical patterns and their prevalence of back pain, a common problem in rural areas, can help develop treatment strategies to address this leading cause of disability.
Methods: We conducted a population-based study in rural Gadchiroli, India. In this, two-phase study, trained surveyors conducted a door to door survey (Phase 1) to identify individuals with pain in the back and extremities in two villages randomly selected using pre-defined criteria. Those with pain were evaluated by a team of spine surgeons and rheumatologists to diagnose clinical conditions among these patients (Phase 2).
Results: Of the 2535 eligible adults, 2259 (89%) were screened, 1247 (55%) reported pain in back and limb and were referred to the specialist clinic. Out of the 906 (73%) participants who attended the clinics, 783 (89%) had back/neck pain. The point prevalence of back/neck pain among adults was 49% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 49%-51%), non-specific low back pain 45% (95% CI = 43.4%-47.5%); non-specific neck pain 21% (95% CI = 18.9-22.4), radiculopathy 12 (95% CI = 10.4-13.1), myelopathy 0.4 (95% CI = 0.1-0.7) and other serious spinal disorders 0.2 (95% CI 0.048-0.45). The prevalence of non-specific back/neck pain and radiculopathy was higher among females.
Conclusions: Non-specific back and neck pain are the commonest diagnoses among those with pain in the back and extremities, followed by radiculopathy. Serious disorders are rare. Given the high prevalence of non-specific back and neck pain, community health workers and physicians working in rural areas need to be trained systematically to manage these conditions.
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