LOW BACK PAIN: NOVEL RISK FACTORS AND TREATMENTS

This thesis focuses on the role of lifestyle risk factors in back pain, the clinical course of back pain and novel treatments. These results provide support for weight and mood management, as well as vigorous physical activity as potential preventive strategies to reduce the burden of back pain in women. It also highlights the persistent and recurrent nature of back pain. This work also suggests that the focus should be on reducing fat mass, as opposed to just weight loss in general. Additionally, this work indicates that further investigation into adipokines and treatments such as vitamin D is warranted.