Abstract
BackgroundAlthough there is a growing research base on low back pain, the bibliometric literature related to it is deficient. The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric and visualization analysis of low back pain and to provide a broad view of the current trends in LBP research and a potential guide in this discipline.MethodsThe authors searched the Web of Science to extract publications regarding low back pain, and found a total of 12,249 publications during a period of 22 years, among which 12,242 were eligible. We classified and analyzed publications such as total citations, average citations per item, H-index, research types, countries/regions, institutions, and journals using standard bibliometric indicators. Bibliometric approaches (VOSviewer1.6.13 and CiteSpace 5.8.3) were also available for gathering information and explore the trends of research.ResultsConspicuously, over the past 22 years, an increasing number of scholars have specialized in the research of LBP, exerting the boom in articles. The largest number of document type was that of articles. Under modern conditions, regional distinction existed in the research of low back pain and developed countries preceded others. Research individuals and institutions were preoccupied by respective aspects. Visualization analysis provided objective information for potential collaborators and cooperative institutions. Furthermore, most burst keywords varied during different periods.ConclusionsThe map of research on LBP obtained by our analysis is expected to help researchers to efficiently and effectively explore LBP.
Highlights
Under the global background of population aging, low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of both reduction in working hours and disability [1, 2]
We aimed to perform research on the global trend of LBP, but non-English articles were excluded, which may have led to selection bias
Developed countries like the United States is leading this research field with the largest number of publications; Chinese researchers should absorb the experience of other countries to identify gaps in the current scientific knowledge that need to be addressed in future research and promote the development of research on LBP
Summary
Under the global background of population aging, low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of both reduction in working hours and disability [1, 2]. A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis economic loss due to reduction of productivity by LBP amounted to $100 billion in 2006 [6–8]. Except for pathological causes of LBP, nonspecific LBP is ascribed to lifestyle factors, obesity, occupations that require sitting, and depression [11]. The United States Institute of Medicine report Relieving Pain in America urges recognition of the complex, multidimensional nature of pain (biological, psychological, and social domains contribute to each individual’s unique pain experience) [12]. The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric and visualization analysis of low back pain and to provide a broad view of the current trends in LBP research and a potential guide in this discipline
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