Characteristics of back pain in young adults and their relationship with dehydration: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the major factors impairing the quality of life and is the most frequent cause of disability. Inadequate water intake is believed to be the predisposing factor for LBP particularly in the younger population. It is commonly seen that the incidence of LBP has been on the rise in people between 20-40 years of age. Thus, the basic aim of this study is to find a potential relationship between dehydration and LBP among young adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from medical students and practicing doctors of 21-39 years from March-May 2019. Characteristics of pain along with the daily activities of patients were assessed. The severity was assessed by using the Graded Chronic pain scale (GCPS). Results: Out of a total of 426 participants, 84.74% had LBP. Of these, 44.3% complained of having it more than once a week, with a duration usually between 1-7 days. More than half of the patients had their routines disturbed because of this pain. Most of the participants complained of an episodic increase in summers. The majority (75.9%, n=274) drank 5-9 glasses of water a day, 64.5% of them were of opinion that their daily water consumption was enough, while 61.5% felt an association between dehydration and LBP. According to the GCPS, one-third of the population had chronic pain of grade I, and the other third had grade IV. Conclusions: It can be concluded that with the increase in the pace of life, many of the young adults have a reduced intake of water, and due to a probable relationship between LBP and dehydration, this might be a reason for the increasing propensity of LBP in them. There is a need for further work in this regard.