New publications
Back pain is hereditary.
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Even if you do exercises for correct posture and try to lead an active lifestyle, you cannot be insured against back pain, because the PARK2 gene, which is a determining factor in the development of lumbar disc degeneration, may be to blame.
Scientists from King's College London claim that severe disc degeneration is hereditary in 65-80 cases out of a hundred.
"Hereditary factors have a very big influence on the condition of the back. In the 70s of the last century, Scandinavian scientists spent millions to find out which professions are most susceptible to back pain. But it turns out that the job a person is engaged in has nothing to do with it - genes are to blame," comments the author of the study, Dr. Francis Williams.
Experts screened the health of identical twins employed in different professional fields. For example, a physical education teacher and a truck driver. It turned out that despite their different lifestyles and different levels of physical activity, they had the same back problems.
The scientists also scanned the spinal vertebrae of 4,600 people, and all genomes were subjected to detailed analysis.
Ultimately, experts have come to the conclusion that everyone will develop a degenerative process at some point, but not everyone will experience back pain. The risk of back pain depends on how severe the degenerative process is.
“Everyone experiences degeneration at some point in their lives, but some are unlucky and develop chronic pain in the lumbar region,” the researchers say. “It’s similar to the process of graying hair as you age – the discs wear out, and the more they wear out, the more likely it is that the pain will become chronic.”
Of course, this discovery cannot please those people who try to monitor their health and maintain good physical shape, because the genetic factor, thus, practically deprives them of the ability to control their body. However, there is still a point in physical activity, even if a person is in a genetic risk group. Building up a muscular corset will help the spine support the back and reduce pain.
[