The researchers examined data from a back pain survey administered to a representative sample of U.S. adults between the ages of 20 and 69 years old. The information was gathered in 2009 and 2010 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The researchers found:
1. There are around 46.5 percent of adults in the United states that have chronic low back pain and use marijuana; 42 percent of U.S. adults without chronic low back pain also use marijuana.
2. Twenty-two percent of chronic low back pain sufferers use cocaine, compared with 14 percent of U.S. adults who don’t have chronic low back pain.
3. Methamphetamine use is reported among 9 percent of chronic low back pain sufferers in the United States, compared with 5 percent of adults without chronic low back pain.
4. Heroin use is reported in 5 percent of adults with chronic low back pain and 2 percent without chronic low back pain.
5. The people with chronic low back pain who reported lifetime illicit drug use had a higher likelihood to have active prescriptions for opioid analgesics — 22 percent — compared with those who didn’t report illicit drug use — 15.3 percent.
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