SpineUniverse.com Reveals Back Pain For Drivers Is Driving Them Away

WHEATON, Ill., Jan. 11, 2006 -- SpineUniverse.com, the most visited web portal regarding spine care issues, has released results from its public forum that indicate 80% of respondents report a driver's seat that helps minimize back pain would influence their car buying decision. Only 3.6% of 834 total respondents said that a driver's seat designed to minimize back discomfort would not at all influence their buying decision.

"This is particularly significant when one considers that 30 million Americans report experiencing back pain at any given time," said Dr. Stewart G. Eidelson, a Boynton Beach orthopedic surgeon and author of the book "Save Your Aching Back and Neck, A Patient's Guide."

"It has been found that four of five adults experience significant back or neck pain during their lives," said Eidelson. "Back pain is the fifth leading cause of visits to doctors in the United States. With the right care, about 90% of back pain patients improve within four to six weeks. This care should be extended to automobiles where the average person spends at least two hours each day driving to and from work and on other motor trips."

Eidelson and other members of the SpineUniverse.com panel suggest that patients need to remember that, left untreated, back pain can lead to more serious problems, even to the possible need for spinal surgery. "Preventative care is paramount to long-term care," said Eidelson. "Toward this end, we intend to bring these significant results to the attention of the automotive design industry and to consumers who need to consider options for back care such as lumbar pillows and the avoidance of 'bucket seats' in favor of bench type."

Other suggestions include consideration of the head rest, having it properly positioned, seat belt usage, and positioning of air bags should an accident occur.

Satisfied that the results are a true reflection of the general public's knowledge, the SpineUniverse.com Poll is made up of a question each month posted to its web site. For additional information, the web site's address is http://www.spineuniverse.com/ . Public inquiries may be sent to: info@spineuniverse.com .

About SpineUniverse.com

SpineUniverse.com is an Internet-based network dedicated to dissemination of back pain information and encouragement of back pain commerce. Over 10 million people visit the site each year.