Most of the content of this article is derived from a couple of Dr Michael Greger’s superb ‘NutritionFacts.org’ videos:

• Back in Circulation: Sciatica and Cholesterol[i], and
• Cholesterol and Lower Back Pain[ii]

Low back pain became one of the biggest health problems in the western world in the latter half of the 20^th century and appears to be extending worldwide. Up to 84% of us will suffer from low back pain at some time in our lives, about 1 in 5 will suffer from chronic low back pain, and more than 1 in 10 will be disabled by it.[iii]

Mechanical factors, such as lifting and carrying, are probably not major causes of the disease, but genetic make-up might be[iv], so the fact that the incidence of low back pain is spreading would seem to indicate that there are life-style changes we could adopt which might reduce our risk of succumbing to it, or improve our prognosis if we already have it, in spite of the genetic cards we have been dealt.

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