29/09/2026
Australia’s Silent Burden: Back Pain, Mental Health & the Economic Cost of Inaction
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) including back pain, account for the greatest proportion of persistent pain conditions which is often linked to depression and psychological distress. ACA President Dr Billy Chow said, “The coexistence of back pain and mental health conditions is associated with impaired quality of life while the increased risk of developing a chronic back pain condition also poses a significant ongoing financial burden on sufferers and the economy as a whole. “Encouraging Australians to address MSDs by managing their spinal health not only helps inhibit chronic back pain but can also mitigate negative secondary implications on sufferers’ mental health and overall wellbeing,” said Dr Chow. The link between MSDs, specifically back pain and depression is well documented in research studies including a study by the International Association for the Study of Pain (2021) that found people living with chronic back pain are at heightened risk of experiencing mental health problems. “While chronic back pain can lead to developing psychological and social problems, depressive symptoms can worsen back pain and increase the disability associated with the condition, which in turn can exacerbate back pain’s negative impact on the mental health of sufferers,” he said. “This vicious cycle, where back pain triggers a mental health problem that leads to the original back problem worsening can continue accelerating unabated in the absence of interventions to break the pain cycle, while the costs of MSDs to the Australian economy are significant and increasing,” Dr Chow said. According to a Deloitte Access Economics report the rising cost of MSDs in Australia presents a strong case for a proactive, strategic response to MSD management. Research by Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (August 2025) has projected that if we fail to tackle common back pain through promoting advice to stay active and receive appropriate care, by 2033, 3.2 million working-age Australians will be living with chronic back pain leading to a loss of approximately 4.6 per cent to Australia’s gross Domestic Product over a 10-year period. 6.1 million Australians (almost 1 in 3) are already impacted by MSDs, of which 58% are of working age (25-64 years) in their peak income earning years. With back pain posing a major public health burden affecting millions of sufferers across Australia, long-term chronic back disorders are projected to cost the Australian economy an estimated $638 billion in lost productivity over the next decade. The projected growth of 43 percent in MSD cases over the next two decades, combined with 43 percent of Australians having already reported experiencing a mental health disorder at some point in their lives; the importance of maintaining spinal health to minimise chronic back pain and the associated mental ill-health conditions cannot be overstated. “By underscoring the significance of improving our spinal health and addressing symptoms promptly, we can prevent chronic back pain that negatively impacts mental health and overall wellbeing, while reducing both the personal economic burden on sufferers and the Australian economy,” Dr Chow said. Annually, MSDs cost the Australian economy around $55.1 billion in direct health costs, lost productivity and reduced quality of life while significantly limiting mobility and dexterity that leads to early retirement, reduced socio-economic circumstances and limits the ability to participate in social activities causing isolation. 1 National Spinal Health Month: 1-30 June 2026 - Media Alert Together with the personal and overall economic strain on the mental health system this demonstrates the dire need to improve spinal health to prevent and minimise the impact of MSDs. The Productivity Commission estimated the direct economic costs of mental ill-health and su***de in Australia to be $4370 billion in expenditure and lower economic productivity annually, with a further $151 billion in the cost of disability and premature death due to mental ill-health, su***de and self-inflicted injury. Psychological distress in the form of anxiety or depression is common among acute back pain sufferers. Even when symptoms are short-term and not medically serious, without appropriate early treatment acute back pain can lead to chronic back pain disorders increasing physical and mental health disability risks. Risk factors of developing long-term chronic back pain include avoidance behaviours when back pain sufferers ignore symptoms and avoid movements or activities due to fear of causing injury or increasing pain. However, while limiting movements and activities may be recommended for some acute injuries during healing, if sufferers ignore symptoms and restrict or avoid movements and activities in response to chronic pain (Fear Avoidance Beliefs Model), it can increase pain and the risk of disability over the long-term. Sydney University research also suggests Australians are incorrectly being prescribed opioids for relief of back pain despite the compelling evidence that opioids do not relieve ‘acute’ low back pain (lasting up to 12 weeks) and can result in patients experiencing worse pain while opioids can sometimes cause harm. Shifting chronic back pain treatment away from medications to integrated, holistic healthcare is recommended including care that provides lifestyle support, advice to remain active and working, and tools to self-manage pain to help reduce disability, improve quality of life and boost workforce participation and productivity. Holistic care in the treatment of back pain can also help mitigate the need for medical interventions, reduce hospital admissions and help lower long-term healthcare costs for the individual and the economy for both MSD and mental healthcare treatments. “By taking an informed, proactive approach through preventative measures including making healthy lifestyle changes, remaining active and seeking early intervention when back problems do occur; back pain treatment can be effective and help limit the instances of mental health complications among sufferers,” said Dr Chow. “Maintaining spinal health is essential to staying active, independent and feeling good at any age, so by tackling Australia’s very common back pain issue, we can improve the physical and mental health of society and aid in addressing stagnant productivity while reducing costs to the Australian economy,” he said. According to Global Health Education Australia, over 300,000 Australians visit a chiropractor each week, with demand for chiropractic healthcare increasing as more Australians seek holistic, non-invasive, drug-free healthcare to manage MSDs and minimise chronic back pain and its associated secondary implications. Following 29 years of Spinal Health Week, Australia’s longest running, award-winning spinal health initiative, ACA is proud to mark the campaign’s 30th anniversary by launching National Spinal Health Month in June to improve the spinal health of Australians of all ages. With four out of five Australians expected to experience back pain at some point in their lives, and with chronic pain increasing the risk of mental health challenges, National Spinal Health Month encourages all Australians to join ACA’s “spinal health movement”. To get back to feeling good by maintaining a healthy spine to support a healthy mind, visit spinalhealth.org.au to download FREE back pain information resources.
Spinal Health Month is a health initiative of the ACA, and aims to educate people about the important role of spinal health in improving health & wellbeing
