Do lumbar spine kinematics contribute to individual low back pain development in habitual sitting?

This study explored differences in activities and spine kinematics by transient low back pain status throughout a week of their usual office work. Using a 100-mm visual-analogue scale, twenty participants were classified as non-pain (NPD) and pain developers (PD; ≥10 mm). Tri-axial accelerometers measured sitting time and thorax, pelvis, and lumbar spine angles. Amplitude probability distribution functions were constructed for postures and movements. PD (n = 6) exhibited increases in pain daily, with partial or complete recovery overnight and full recovery over the weekend, hence pain did not accumulate. PD sat more than NPD (n = 14), exhibited decreased peak posterior pelvic tilt (10°) and thorax inclination (8°), and tended to demonstrate less frequent spine movements. To decrease the risk of pain with sitting, reducing seated time, reclining on the seatback, and promoting seated movements should be recommended. With habitual exposures, small differences between pain groups could suggest a pathway to sitting-related back pain over time.Practitioner Summary: The biomechanical link between habitual sitting and low back pain remains unclear. Activity, spine kinematics, and pain ratings were collected throughout a week of individuals' seated work at their own workstation. Small differences between those with and without transient low back pain could suggest a pathway to sitting-related back pain.