Prevalence of back pain in chiropractors.

An epidemiological survey was made of the prevalence of back pain in a sample of 320 Canadian chiropractors. In addition, demographic, postural and other variables were studied to determine their effect on back pain. The overall prevalence of back pain was 87%. Low back pain was claimed by 74% of responding chiropractors. It was found that male chiropractors complained most frequently of lumbar pain, while among female respondents thoracic pain was most common. No apparent correlation was found between back pain and operating postures or table heights. Yet, 82% of the chiropractors that believed their back pain was aggravated by practice made these kinds of changes to avoid pain.