BMJ  2008;336:398 (23 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39464.656007.80 (published 31 January 2008)

Editorials

Preventing back pain

Advice to stay active may not be appropriate for people in manual jobs

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Every month, back pain affects 18-45% of the adult Western population,¹ and the costs to society are between 200 (£150; $290) and 400 per capita per year.² People who do heavy physical work are particularly susceptible because back problems are likely to be exacerbated when the back is used in its full range of movements.

In the accompanying paper, Martimo and colleagues report a systematic review of the prevention of back pain in people whose jobs involve heavy lifting.³None of the randomised controlled trials or cohort studies included in the reviewfound a positive effect of advice or training in working techniques—with or without lifting equipment—for preventing back pain or consequent disability.

Although the results are disappointing, they are not surprising, because few pathological and anatomical labels(such as a tumour, fracture, inflammatory disease, or acute disc protrusion)can be used to explain the aetiology of back pain.⁴ After removing the relatively . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Back Research Centre, Back Centre Funen, Funen Hospital, 5750 Ringe, Denmark, ² Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling: systematic review

Kari-Pekka Martimo, Jos Verbeek, Jaro Karppinen, Andrea D Furlan, Esa-Pekka Takala, P Paul F M Kuijer, Merja Jauhiainen, and Eira Viikari-Juntura
BMJ 2008 336: 429-431. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Acute low back pain: systematic review of its prognosis

Liset H M Pengel, Robert D Herbert, Chris G Maher, and Kathryn M Refshauge
BMJ 2003 327: 323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Davis, G, Johnson, E, McCormick, P C, Roger, E P, Ugokwe, K, Benzel, E C, Sears, W R, McCrory, P (2009). Clinics in neurology and neurosurgery of sport: lumbar spine. Sequestrated disc prolapse and disc bulge. Br. J. Sports. Med. 43: 796-801 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Medical Tunnel Vision

Margaret Bark
bmj.com, 8 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Evidence?

David S. Mallett
bmj.com, 22 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Predicting the subject prone to develop back pain

Carlos A Selmonosky
bmj.com, 23 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Throwback

Michael F Vagg
bmj.com, 24 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Back Pain and Heavy Work, training may be of no benefit

Brian J Sweetman
bmj.com, 27 Feb 2008 [Full text]

Prevention of Back Pain

Noel B Thomas
bmj.com, 1 Mar 2008 [Full text]

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater

G. Lorimer Moseley, et al.
bmj.com, 5 Mar 2008 [Full text]

Back pain is complex and not restricted to manual workers.

Jacqueline H Gracey, et al.
bmj.com, 15 Mar 2008 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more >>