Editorial

Preventing back pain

BMJ 2008; 336 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39464.656007.80 (Published 21 February 2008)
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:398

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  1. Niels Wedderkopp, associate professor1,
  2. Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde, professor2
  1. 1Back Research Centre, Back Centre Funen, Funen Hospital, 5750 Ringe, Denmark
  2. 2Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
  1. nwedderkopp@health.sdu.dk

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

    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 …

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