If you are over 60 and living with back pain, two things are almost certainly true: you are not alone, and the impact on your life is probably greater than you have admitted to anyone – including yourself.

Stark new data released today by the Australian Chiropractors Association paints a confronting picture of just how heavily back pain weighs on older Australians – and how deeply it reaches beyond the physical.

The numbers are striking

The 2026 Australian Spinal Health Survey, an independent national survey of 1,040 Australian adults conducted by Pureprofile, found that 87.3 per cent of Australians aged 61 and over have experienced back pain in their lifetime, with 83.3 per cent reporting pain in the past 12 months alone.

Among those senior sufferers, almost half – 48.3 per cent – reported chronic pain lasting three months or more, the highest chronic pain rate of any age group surveyed. That figure climbs even further with age: among Australians aged 81 and over, chronic back pain reaches 56.8 per cent.

Perhaps most tellingly, only 16.5 per cent of seniors with back pain said their condition had fully resolved – the lowest resolution rate of any age group. For the vast majority of older Australians living with back pain, it is not a temporary complaint that will go away on its own. It is a long-term condition that shapes daily life.

The physical toll goes well beyond pain

The survey found that 42.5 per cent of seniors reported reduced physical mobility due to back pain – nearly 70 per cent higher than the national average across all age groups. Almost 30 per cent reported disrupted sleep, and 28.7 per cent said back pain affected their quality of life often or always.

For older Australians, reduced mobility is not just an inconvenience. It can trigger a cascade of consequences – loss of independence, social withdrawal, reduced exercise and an increased risk of falls. When the body stops moving freely, everything else begins to contract with it.

The mental health impact nobody talks about

This is the part of the data that deserves the most attention and receives the least.

Among Australians aged 61 to 70, 17.3 per cent reported depression or anxiety directly linked to their back pain. Among women in the same age group, that figure climbed to 18.6 per cent – one of the highest rates of any age band in the entire survey.

Overall, 30.3 per cent of seniors with back pain reported a moderate-to-extreme mental health impact.

ACA President Dr Billy Chow said the connection between chronic pain and mental health in older Australians is both well-established and under-recognised.

“When chronic back pain leads to psychological and social problems, depressive symptoms can worsen back pain and increase the disability associated with the condition, which can then exacerbate back pain’s negative impact on the mental health of sufferers,” Dr Chow said.

Research from CQUniversity, led by Associate Professor Katie de Luca, reinforces the concern. Her landmark study investigating back pain in older adults found that depressive symptoms are associated with a heightened risk of future back pain — creating a cycle where pain feeds depression and depression feeds pain. The research also found that older people with chronic back pain showed significantly greater declines in memory, attention and processing speed than those without it.

The medication question

The survey revealed that seniors record the highest daily pain medication use of any age group – 15.7 per cent using over-the-counter pain medication daily and 14.7 per cent using prescription medication daily. Both figures are significantly higher than the national average.

This daily reliance raises questions, particularly in light of research challenging the effectiveness of commonly used medications for chronic back pain. The University of Sydney’s OPAL trial, published in The Lancet in 2023, found opioids were no more effective than placebo for acute low back pain. The World Health Organisation’s 2023 guidelines recommend non-pharmacological approaches and advise against routine medication as a primary or long-term response.

What actually helps

The encouraging news from the research is that chronic back pain in older adults does respond to active, evidence-based treatment.

Associate Professor de Luca’s COMEBACK study, which assessed adapted exercise for older people with back pain and other health conditions, found participants achieved increased functional capacity and aerobic stamina, decreased depression and anxiety, and reduced frailty — all leading to improved quality of life.

These findings are consistent with WHO guidelines endorsing active care, including spinal manipulation, and warning against bed rest.

Dr Chow said one of the biggest barriers to improvement is fear of movement itself.

“Restricting movement out of fear of pain or re-injury compounds physical deconditioning and exacerbates pain conditions,” he said. Among ACA member chiropractors surveyed, 55 per cent reported that the majority of their senior patients exhibit this fear avoidance behaviour — the highest of any age group.

“We encourage seniors, their families and carers not to dismiss back pain as an inevitable part of ageing, but to maintain mobility, manage fear avoidance and access evidence-based healthcare to improve quality of life,” Dr Chow said.

For free spinal health resources and practical guides, visit spinalhealth.org.au.