Genes may be important in back, neck pain

NEW YORK: A person's genetic makeup may play an important role in the odds of suffering neck or back pain, new research suggests.

In a study of more than 15,000 twins ages 20 to 71, Danish researchers found that genetic susceptibility seemed to explain a large share of the risk of suffering back and neck aches.
 
Chronic and recurrent pain along the spine is one of the most common health complaints among adults, yet the precise cause remains unknown in most cases. And in general, researchers know little about the mechanisms underlying these aches and pains.

The latest findings on the topic, reported in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, add to evidence that while there are likely many contributors to back and neck pain, genes are an important one.

Recent research, for example, has found that genetic susceptibility may be the main factor in a person's likelihood of progressive degeneration in the spinal discs, which can be a cause of chronic back and neck pain.

That is in contrast to the traditional view that spinal disc degeneration is largely the product of aging and "wear and tear."

Understanding how genes and environment interact to create health problems is a "prerequisite" for preventing them, noted Dr. Jan Hartvigsen, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark and the lead researcher on the new study.

"So far, we have not - in spite of millions of dollars spent - been able to effectively prevent the most common forms of back and neck pain," Hartvigsen told Reuters Health in an email. "And today there are more chronic spine-pain sufferers than ever."