Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), imposing substantial burden on individuals and health systems. The societal burden of LBP in LMICs challenges the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals of eliminating poverty and improving health and well-being by pushing the people with the lowest socioeconomic position on the planet to greater poverty and more disability. This LBP in LMICs Series aims to (1) summarize the current state of LBP management in LMICs, (2) propose what best care for LBP in LMICs may look like, and (3) provide policy recommendations and a call to action. In this first paper, we summarize the extent of the problem: the prevalence, disability, and costs of LBP in LMICs. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(5):233-235. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.11145.
Keywords: chronic pain; developing countries; low back pain; musculoskeletal disorders; musculoskeletal pain; pain management.