Global burden of pain and global pain policy—creating a purposeful body of evidence :

The latest Global Burden of Disease Study, published at the end of 2012, has highlighted the enormous global burden of low back pain. In contrast to the previous study, when it was ranked 105 out of 136 conditions, low back pain is now the leading cause of disability globally, ahead of 290 other conditions. It was estimated to be responsible for 58.2 million years lived with disability in 1990, increasing to 83 million in 2010. This chapter illustrates the ways that the Global Burden of Disease data can be displayed using the data visualisation tools specifically designed for this purpose. It also considers how best to increase the precision of future global burden of low back pain estimates by identifying limitations in the available data and priorities for further research. Finally, it discusses what should be done at a policy level to militate against the rising burden of this condition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The global burden of chronic pain is projected to be large and growing, in concert with the burden of noncommunicable diseases. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic pain without clear etiology in general, elderly, and working populations of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).