Rheum by the Numbers: Inflammatory Back Pain Save

Nearly 20% Americans have chronic back pain, but 5-6% have inflammatory back pain. These numbers were derived from the 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that showed the USA prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis to be 1-1.4% and ankylosing spondylitis to be 0.5%. Hence less than 2% of low back pain is due to spondyloarthritis. The presence of inflammatory low back back (inflamm low back pain worse in AM, improved by activity/athletics) increases odds of SpA nearly three-fold to 15%.