Preventing Workplace Back Pain and Back Injury

Photo: Stuart J. Whitmore

Lifting heavy objects at work can be unavoidable. The scene at your place of employment most likely does not take into consideration the degree of any pain or injury you have, nor your strength level. But ignore that box, and you’ve begun to invite job problems!

Many rehab clinics and back schools focus their efforts on teaching proper lifting techniques to their patients. Other options for preventing back pain at work include the use of back belts and assistive devices. But are these measures effective?

A recent review of medical literature by the Cochrane Collaboration may shed some light on this question. The Cochrane Collaboration is a non-profit organization that reviews medical literature in a neutral and non-biased way, and reports the results to the public. (I am a consumer reviewer for the Cochrane Back Group, which means I look at their work and provide comment as to how it might answer the questions of non-medical people with back pain.)

Cochrane's findings show that neither worker training nor the use of assistive devices can alone prevent back pain. Unfortunately, there were no studies available that examined either of the two approaches within a more comprehensive treatment plan, so Cochrane remains silent on that. Their findings suggest that if you think your back belt alone will prevent back pain, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. The same is true for only using safe lifting techniques.

My own opinion is you can rarely go wrong with properly done exercise. This is especially true if you work on developing spinal stabilization. This means abs, back and the muscles that attach to the pelvis. Strong muscles can do what a back belt can only attempt to do – muscles attach directly to your pelvis and spine and by working them you can develop their capacity to support your lifting and other heavy activity. Can you say that about a back belt?

_{Source:
Martimo KP, Verbeek J, Karppinen J, Furlan A D, Kuijer PPFM, Viikari-Juntura E, Takala EP, Jauhiainen M. Manual material handling advice and assistive devices for preventing and treating back pain in workers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 2.}

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