Rates of Postmenopausal Low Back Pain Have Nearly Doubled in 30 Years

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 November 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Low back pain is projected to affect over 800 million people worldwide by 2050. Among women over 55, cases nearly doubled from 89.9 million in 1990 to 176.8 million in 2021
Aging populations are the main driver of this increase, but postmenopausal women face a greater risk due to bone loss, muscle decline, fat redistribution, and immune and inflammatory changes
Hormonal shifts during and after menopause alter bone density, disc health, and tissue repair, making the spine more vulnerable to stress and chronic pain
Persistent low back pain is linked to multiple chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, mental health issues, and long-term functional decline
Regular movement, stronger core and pelvic floor muscles, improved posture, quality sleep, and stress management are among the most effective ways to lower pain risk and protect your spine

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you noticed your lower back slowing you down more than it did a decade ago and wondered if this is just what happens after midlife?
0:07.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:15.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:20.0	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola'scom for the latest health insights.
0:23.8	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:29.4	I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're looking at the sharp rise in postmenopausal low back pain,
0:34.4	why your wrist climbs after menopause, and what you can do today to protect your spine and your long-term health.
0:35.9	I'm a health and wellness host, and I'll guide the
0:38.6	conversation with clear takeaways you can act on. I'm a Lara Sky. We're focusing on new analyses
0:44.9	showing that cases of low back pain among women over 55 nearly doubled between 1990 and 2021. The increase
0:53.6	is driven largely by aging populations,
0:56.0	but women after menopause face a higher burden than men the same age.
1:00.0	You also see rising years lived with disability,
1:03.0	underscoring how persistent back pain limits daily function and quality of life.
1:08.0	The numbers are striking.
1:10.0	By 2021, an estimated 176.8 million women, 55 and older,
1:16.8	were living with low back pain,
1:18.2	with new annual cases reaching roughly 70.3 million.
1:23.4	Your individual age-adjusted risk hasn't spiked dramatically,
1:27.2	but more people are affected because the global population is older and larger.
1:32.3	Even so, women after menopause had about 1.78 times more new cases than men,
1:37.3	and 1.86 times more total cases that year.
	...

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