Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: October 8, 2025
Back pain affects millions of Americans on a regular basis, but the total impact of this health issue isn’t just felt by the individual. Back pain also has a major impact on our economy, and recent studies suggest that spine issues are costing us tens of billions of dollars a year. By really working to help curb our back pain numbers, we could actually see a little economic growth. We take a closer look at the economic burden of back pain in America in today’s blog.
Boosting GDP By Treating Back Pain
To get a better understanding of the economic impact of back pain on a nation, we turn to a recent study out of Australia. That study, conducted by researchers at Monash University, took a closer look at the impact long-term back problems could cost the Australian economy.
For their study, researchers projected the work-related impact of long-term back problems among working-age Australians (15-64 years old). They found that more than 3.2 million working-age Australians were expected to be living with chronic back issues by 2033, leading to a loss of roughly 4.6% to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product over a 10-year period.
“The economic impact beyond health care costs is often overlooked,” said Dr. Sean Docking, a Health Economist and lead researcher of the study at Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine. “Early retirement and work absences associated with back problems are costing the Australian economy billions.”
According to the research team, that 4.6% loss in GDP over a 10-year period is equivalent to $638 billion in lost productivity. Fortunately, even putting a small dent in back pain prevalence can have a major positive impact on the economy. Researchers say that reducing the prevalence of long-term back pain problems by just 10% could add $41.4 billion to Australia’s GDP over a decade.
So while the study focuses on Australians not Americans, there’s a good chance that the economic impact of back pain is much larger here in the USA. Our population is ten times greater than Australia’s, and estimates suggest that about 16 million Americans live with chronic back pain and 65 million have experienced a recent episode of back pain. That means the economic impact of back pain in America is likely anywhere from 5-10 times greater than what is happening in Australia, meaning the economic loss over the next 10 years is likely multiple trillion dollars. It’s difficult to imagine just how much money that is, but it also gives us hope that policymakers will soon see the benefits to prioritizing healthcare issues facing Americans.
We don’t expect you to address your back pain out of a civic duty to help the country’s long-term GDP, but untreated back pain will also be felt on a personal economic level. Even if you can collect workers’ compensation for a back injury, it typically only pays two-thirds of your normal pay rate, meaning your finances will take a hit as you recover. Of course, if it wasn’t a compensable injury, you’ll also be dealing with medical bills from diagnostic and treatment appointments, and those costs only seem to be going up. There’s a good likelihood that your chronic pain will have a major impact on your economic situation, so don’t ignore it. Invest in yourself and your health, and your financial future may also get a boost.
Let us help find a way to put an end to your new or chronic back pain once and for all. For more information about a specific back issue, or to figure out what’s causing discomfort in your back, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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