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Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Factors affecting recovery from work-related, low back disorders in autoworkers
Denise M Oleske1, Janani Neelakantan, Gunnar B Andersson
1Departments of Health System Management, Preventive Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Objective:
To simultaneously evaluate personal, medical, and job factors that could affect recovery from work-related, low back disorders, specifically focusing on an active working sample.
Design:
Observational, longitudinal study.
Setting:
Two US automotive plants.
Participants:
Employees (N=352; 289 men, 63 women; mean age +/- standard deviation, 45.1+/-7.5 y) who were active hourly autoworkers, diagnosed with work-related, low back disorder by the plant's medical department.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure:
Oswestry Disability Questionnaire for back pain was used to evaluate recovery.
Results:
Factors associated with better recovery were lower stress levels (P<.001) and exercise or physical activity outside work (P<.001); factors associated with higher disability levels over time were current cigarette smoking (P<.01) and bedrest (P<.001).
Conclusions:
Personal modifiable factors are major influences in the recovery from work-related, low back disorders, even in active working populations. Interventions aimed at increasing exercise and decreasing stress should also be considered as a part of rehabilitation in employed persons with low levels of disability.
