Epidemiologic evidence on manual materials handling as a risk factor for back disorders: a systematic review
Two articles on PainSci cite Kuiper 1999: 1. The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain 2. Don’t Worry About Lifting Technique
PainSci notes on Kuiper 1999:
From the abstract: “ … only a moderate insight in the dose–response relation between exposure to lifting and occurrence of back disorders was found.”
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
In this review, epidemiologic evidence on the role of manual materials handling in the occurrence of back disorders was systematically evaluated. Twenty-five publications that provided quantitative data on associations between manual materials handling and back disorders were selected. Study findings were evaluated on the basis of strength of association, consistency in findings and dose–response relations. The methodological quality of each study was assessed to consider the relative value of the findings. Although a considerable number of epidemiologic studies investigated the risk of lifting, only a moderate insight in the dose–response relation between exposure to lifting and occurrence of back disorders was found. Evidence on carrying and on pushing/pulling as risk factor for back disorders was very limited. Only very few quantitative studies were performed and the results of these studies were inconsistent. The amount of evidence on the risk of exposure to combined manual materials handling was only moderate. It was concluded that, based on the criteria applied in this study, epidemiologic evidence for manual materials handling as risk factor of back disorders is present, but largely based on cross-sectional studies with inherent methodological weaknesses. More longitudinal studies need to be performed in which special attention is given to accurate exposure measurements, valid assessment of back disorders, and dose–response relations.
related content
- “Systematic review: occupational physical activity and low back pain,” B K Kwon, D M Roffey, P B Bishop, S Dagenais, and E K Wai, Occup Med (Lond), 2011.
- “Dose-response relationship between work-related cumulative postural exposure and low back pain: a systematic review,” Daniel Cury Ribeiro, Daniela Aldabe, J Haxby Abbott, Gisela Sole, and Stephan Milosavljevic, Ann Occup Hyg, 2012.
- “Causal assessment of occupational lifting and low back pain: results of a systematic review,” Eugene K Wai, Darren M Roffey, Paul Bishop, Brian K Kwon, and Simon Dagenais, Spine J, 2010.
- “Effect of training and lifting equipment for preventing back pain in lifting and handling: systematic review,” KP Martimo, J Verbeek, J Karppinen, AD Furlan, EP Takala, PP Kuijer, M Jauhiainen, and E Viikari-Juntura, British Medical Journal, 2008.
This page is part of the PainScience BIBLIOGRAPHY, which contains plain language summaries of thousands of scientific papers & others sources. It’s like a highly specialized blog. A few highlights:
- Exercise and education versus saline injections for knee osteoarthritis: a randomised controlled equivalence trial. Bandak 2022 Ann Rheum Dis.
- Association of Lumbar MRI Findings with Current and Future Back Pain in a Population-based Cohort Study. Kasch 2022 Spine (Phila Pa 1976).
- A double-blinded randomised controlled study of the value of sequential intravenous and oral magnesium therapy in patients with chronic low back pain with a neuropathic component. Yousef 2013 Anaesthesia.
- Is Neck Posture Subgroup in Late Adolescence a Risk Factor for Persistent Neck Pain in Young Adults? A Prospective Study. Richards 2021 Phys Ther.
- Sudden amnesia resulting in pain relief: the relationship between memory and pain. Choi 2007 Pain.