(i) Current understanding of low back pain and intervertebral disc degeneration: epidemiological perspectives and phenotypes for genetic studies

SummaryLow back pain is now considered more an illness syndrome, rather than a distinct disease. There are many causes of back pain from simple sprain, to complex anatomical derangements to psychosocial issues. Lumbar disc degeneration is one of the more common causes of pathological low back pain. In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift in the understanding of the aetiology of back pain, from an environmental and mechanically based model, to one of a polygenic genetic disorder. This review will summarise the current knowledge on low back pain, and present the latest evidence that this is a genetic disorder.