Chronic Back Pain Paralyzing South Punjab

M Atif Ismail

Multan: For thousands in South Punjab, back pain isn’t just discomfort—it’s a daily battle that limits work, movement, and life itself. Yet, despite affecting nearly 20 percent of clinic visitors, proper care remains out of reach.

“People suffer needlessly because they don’t know where to go,” says Dr Muhammad Mehmood Ahmed, a spine surgeon in Multan. He recalls patients walking hunched over, fearing surgery that modern medicine can safely perform, or relying on random advice that worsens their condition.

Many cases are treatable with simple medicines, physiotherapy, or minimally invasive surgery—but misinformation and the lack of specialised centres leave patients with chronic pain, deformities, and, in severe cases, permanent disability.

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“Spinal injuries that damage nerves can be fully treated if addressed quickly. Delay means lifelong paralysis,” warns Dr Mehmood. Yet, in South Punjab, the cost of advanced implants and surgeries is often beyond reach, and no dedicated public spine-care facility exists.

For ordinary citizens, this gap is more than medical—it’s personal. Families struggle to help loved ones regain mobility, while patients live with fear and frustration that could have been avoided with timely care.

Dr Mehmood urges immediate action: “We need public, affordable spine-care centres staffed with trained specialists. Patients shouldn’t have to suffer preventable disability because of where they live.”

For the people of South Punjab, chronic back pain is not just a health issue—it’s a silent crisis demanding urgent attention, expertise, and compassion.