Occupational physicians and ergonomists should have a role

BMJ 1995;311:568 (26 August)

Letters

Occupational physicians and ergonomists should have a role

EDITOR,--R M Ellis fails to mention work (especially in thoseworkplaces where even the most simple of ergonomic practicesdo not exist) as an important cause of back pain among peoplewho are employed.¹ ² ³ This omission is made doubly worse byEllis's advice that doctors "should see maintaining the personin employment as their priority."¹ Unless the principles behindthe Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992⁴ apply in theworkplace, returning to work too soon may have the oppositeeffect.

Ellis mentions the "consultant led team" providing servicesfocused on the "active management of back pain." Two other specialistsshould be added to the list--namely, occupational physiciansand ergonomists.

Employment medical adviser Merseyside and Cheshire Area Office,Health and Safety Executive, Bootle, Merseyside L20 3PG

D Sen

Ellis RM. Back pain. BMJ 1995;310:1220. (13 May.) [Free Full Text]
Clinical Standards Advisory Group. Epidemiology review: the epidemiology and cost of back pain. London: HMSO, 1994.
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