Sitting posture of subjects with postural backache

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ergonomics
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Postural backache is a common complaint among students.
• Understanding the relationship between sitting posture and backache is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• McKenzie's concept of a postural syndrome suggests a link between prolonged sitting and specific postural habits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the construct of postural backache.
• To investigate whether individuals with postural backache exhibit prolonged sitting durations and more flexed relaxed sitting postures compared to those without backache.

Main Methods:

• Student volunteers were categorized into postural backache and no backache groups based on a questionnaire.
• An activity diary tracked sitting postures and durations over a 3-day period.
• Dartfish software analyzed relaxed sitting posture after 10 minutes of sustained sitting.

Main Results:

• Sitting was the primary daytime activity for both groups, with no significant difference in average sitting time.
• The postural backache group demonstrated significantly longer periods of uninterrupted sustained sitting and studying (P < .024).
• A significantly greater degree of spinal flexion in relaxed sitting posture was observed in the postural backache group (P < .024).

Conclusions:

• Approximately half of the student volunteers reported experiencing postural backache.
• Individuals with postural backache engaged in longer uninterrupted sitting periods and adopted a more flexed relaxed sitting posture.
• These results provide evidence supporting McKenzie's concept of a postural syndrome in the student population.