Work-related low back pain: secondary intervention
Section snippets
Nature of low back pain
Scientific evidence indicates that non-specific low back pain is basically an age-related disorder that is affected by differences in occupation, genetics, and personal behavior.
Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain
About 85% of people with low back pain cannot be given a precise diagnosis [21], [64]. The most accurate diagnosis for these people is idiopathic low back pain or non-specific low back pain. The common diagnosis of strain or sprain has never been anatomically or histologically characterized [21]. Bulging discs have little or no association with low back pain [39]. A herniated disc can be diagnosed in only about 4% of patients, and spinal stenosis in about 3% [21]. Herniated discs occur in
Secondary intervention
There is no evidence that low back pain has decreased in recent years [12]. Consequently, there are a growing number of investigators who believe that efforts at preventing low back pain are futile; that low back pain is an unavoidable consequence of life that will afflict most people at some point in their lives [26], [27], [72], [76], [79]. These investigators believe that programs aimed at reducing low back disability are likely to be much more effective and less costly. As Frymoyer and
Risk factors for low back disability
Disability risk factors refer to the increased risk of disability after the onset of pain, and the increased duration of disability. The major risk factors for low back disability are shown below.
Reducing low back disability
Although low back pain may not be preventable at the present time, the good news is that we know how to reduce the disability from low back pain. There is sufficient evidence in the literature to suggest an approach consisting of the following components.
Conclusion
At the present time, the prevention and treatment of low back pain has not been very successful. The bottom line is that we can not really prevent low back pain—primarily because we can not control aging, we can not control genetics, and we can not control personal behavior. However, we can control the job; and because we can control the job, we can reduce the disability from low back pain—and it is the disability that is the primary problem for industry.
Much of the responsibility for reducing
Dr. Snook is a Lecturer on Ergonomics in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been a member of the Harvard faculty since 1974. In 1997, he retired as Assistant Vice President, Ergonomics Laboratories, at the Liberty Mutual Research Center in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Dr. Snook spent 35 years at Liberty Mutual conducting research on low back pain, manual materials handling, cumulative trauma disorders, heat stress,
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The effects of a new seat suspension system on whole body vibration exposure and driver low back pain and disability: Results from a randomized controlled trial in truck drivers
2022, Applied ErgonomicsCitation Excerpt :Functional limitations often have better predictive behavior surrounding clinical hypotheses and may be better measures of health impacts of interventions (Amick et al., 2004; Dennerlein et al., 2002; Katz et al., 1997; Lerner et al., 2001). In addition, disability is often easier to prevent and impact than pain itself (Snook, 2004). With that said, the Oswestry disability index is often used for clinical populations, and the drivers’ disability scores were small (in the 0–20 range, out of a possible 0–100 range of scores).
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2016, International Encyclopedia of Public HealthA population approach to analyze the effectiveness of a back extension exercise “One Stretch” in patients with low back pain: A replication study
2016, Journal of Orthopaedic ScienceCitation Excerpt :At present, LBP is prevalent in all adult populations, but only a few subjects become disabled. However, these patients are responsible for most of the treatment costs for LBP [14]. As noted before, the severity of LBP correlates with disability [3] and the present goal of LBP management is to become or remain free from LBP with disability; as such, efforts to prevent LBP with disability instead of LBP in general are likely to be more effective and efficient.
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2011, Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationCitation Excerpt :Nevertheless, our results reflect a real case scenario with challenges faced when applying recommendations within the workplace. Scientific evidence places the management of LBP as a much more realistic solution to a disorder tightly linked to age.40 Our study reinforces the multiple benefits of the promotion of physical activity and physical therapy care in the workplace so as to assist individuals at risk who have LBP.
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2008, International Encyclopedia of Public HealthPhysical Function and Low Back Pain in Leek Farmers: A Comparison with Non-Farmers
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Dr. Snook is a Lecturer on Ergonomics in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been a member of the Harvard faculty since 1974. In 1997, he retired as Assistant Vice President, Ergonomics Laboratories, at the Liberty Mutual Research Center in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Dr. Snook spent 35 years at Liberty Mutual conducting research on low back pain, manual materials handling, cumulative trauma disorders, heat stress, fatigue, machine guarding, stairway design, and personal protective equipment. Prior to joining Liberty Mutual in 1962, Dr. Snook spent six years as a member of the professional staff of Dunlap and Associates in Stamford, Connecticut, where he participated in the human factors design and evaluation of military missile systems, control systems, and weather observing and forecasting systems.
Dr. Snook earned a B.A. degree from Hartwick College, an M.A. from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. from Tufts University. He is a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE), a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and a Fellow of the Ergonomics Society (UK).