Most of us know or have heard of someone who has had a minor back injury and are aware of the accompanying nagging back problems that often persist when back injuries occur. B ack problem s that are not a direct result of a work place injury are just as common as those that do occur while on the job . Often, our backs are under a great deal of strain because of the kind of work we do . However, this does not mean that all back injuries occur suddenly. In many cases, people develop gradual injuries over the course of their working li v e s.

Given how common these problems are, one would think that doctor s would be able to tell who are and are not likely to develop back problems . U nfortunately though, this is not always the case . Although there is really no way to predict the onset of back problem s with any degree of certainty, there are several factors that can be taken into account. Some of these include health problems and demographic factors that can be useful in making a determination . Over 80% of adult Americans will experience at least one episode of lower back pain during the course of their lives. Considering this fact , it’s good to know all you can about th is issue.

Although age is generally considered to be the main culprit for a great many aging related problems, most people are not aware of the fact that on average a person is likely to suffer from a lower back problem between the ages of twenty and forty. Doctors are not entirely sure why these years are the ones where we are most susceptible, but they do have a few theories. One of the most plausible of these is that these are most active years for most of us. Th is is the time period when people tend to use their backs in a wider variety of activities .

Another common reason for onset of back problems has to do with the degeneration of the disks in the back . Studies have suggested that men and women are equally susceptible to back pain and that there is no difference in occurrences between the two. However, studies also indicate that men are more likely to suffer specifically from disc related problems , because traditionally men are asked to do jobs that involve heavy lifting , which is one of the more common causes of back problems.

Also, i t is possible that a person’s genes may influence the likelihood of developing back problems. Some of the more common types of disc defects have been found to be more common in some families than in others.