Association between sitting and occupational LBP
Five articles on PainSci cite Lis 2007: 1. The Trouble with Chairs 2. A Guide to Sciatica Treatment for Patients 3. Complete Guide to Low Back Pain 4. 6 Main Causes of Morning Back Pain 5. Vibration Therapies, from Massage Guns to Jacuzzis
PainSci commentary on Lis 2007: ?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided wherever possible.
This review of 25 studies found that “sitting alone was not associated with the risk of developing low back pain,” but vibration and awkward postures are, as exemplified in helicopter pilots, who tolerate long hours of intense vibration while frequently twisting in their seats.
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.
Low back pain (LBP) has been identified as one of the most costly disorders among the worldwide working population. Sitting has been associated with risk of developing LBP. The purpose of this literature review is to assemble and describe evidence of research on the association between sitting and the presence of LBP. The systematic literature review was restricted to those occupations that require sitting for more than half of working time and where workers have physical co-exposure factors such as whole body vibration (WBV) and/or awkward postures. Twenty-five studies were carefully selected and critically reviewed, and a model was developed to describe the relationships between these factors. Sitting alone was not associated with the risk of developing LBP. However, when the co-exposure factors of WBV and awkward postures were added to the analysis, the risk of LBP increased fourfold. The occupational group that showed the strongest association with LBP was Helicopter Pilots (OR=9.0, 90% CI 4.9-16.4). For all studied occupations, the odds ratio (OR) increased when WBV and/or awkward postures were analyzed as co-exposure factors. WBV while sitting was also independently associated with non-specific LBP and sciatica. Vibration dose, as well as vibration magnitude and duration of exposure, were associated with LBP in all occupations. Exposure duration was associated with LBP to a greater extent than vibration magnitude. However, for the presence of sciatica, this difference was not found. Awkward posture was also independently associated with the presence of LBP and/or sciatica. The risk effect of prolonged sitting increased significantly when the factors of WBV and awkward postures were combined. Sitting by itself does not increase the risk of LBP. However, sitting for more than half a workday, in combination with WBV and/or awkward postures, does increase the likelihood of having LBP and/or sciatica, and it is the combination of those risk factors, which leads to the greatest increase in LBP.
related content
- “Spinal mechanical load as a risk factor for low back pain: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies,” Eric W P Bakker, Arianne P Verhagen, Emiel van Trijffel, Cees Lucas, and Bart W Koes, Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2009.
- “Sedentary lifestyle as a risk factor for low back pain: a systematic review,” Shu-Mei Chen, Mei-Fang Liu, Jill Cook, Shona Bass, and Sing Kai Lo, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 2009.
- “Is sitting-while-at-work associated with low back pain? A systematic, critical literature review,” J Hartvigsen, C Leboeuf-Yde, S Lings, and E H Corder, Scand J Public Health, 2000.
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:
- 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.
- Photobiomodulation therapy is not better than placebo in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Guimarães 2021 Pain.