The role of whole body vibration, posture and manual materials handling as risk factors for low back pain in occupational drivers

It seems evident that occupational drivers have an increased risk of developing back pain. Not only are they exposed to whole body vibration (vibration), their work often includes exposure to several other risk factors for low back pain (LBP), particularly the seated posture (posture) and manual materials handling (MMH). Excessive demands on posture are likely to be aggravated by vibration and vice versa, and the risks may be further compounded when MMH is performed. This study investigated the relative role of vibration, posture and MMH as risk factors for LBP and the stated hypothesis was that the risks for LBP in drivers are the combined effect of vibration, posture and/or MMH. The findings showed that interaction effects due to posture and one or both of vibration and MMH, rather than the individual exposure effects, are the main contributors for precipitation of LBP.

[1]  A Nachemson,et al.  The effect of breathing exercises on the vital capacity in patients with scoliosis treated by surgical correction with the Harrington technique. , 1970, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine.

[2]  G. Elfström,et al.  Intravital dynamic pressure measurements in lumbar discs. A study of common movements, maneuvers and exercises. , 1970, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine. Supplement.

[3]  Don B. Chaffin,et al.  Biomechanical Stresses From Manual Load Lifting: A Static vs Dynamic Evaluation , 1982 .

[4]  J W Frymoyer,et al.  The Relationship Between Work History, Work Environment and Low-Back Pain in Men , 1984, Spine.

[5]  P Froom,et al.  Low back pain in the AH-1 Cobra helicopter. , 1987, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[6]  H. Broman,et al.  Back muscle fatigue and seated whole body vibrations: an experimental study in man. , 1991, Clinical biomechanics.

[7]  R. Anderson,et al.  The Back Pain of Bus Drivers: Prevalence in an Urban Area of California , 1992, Spine.

[8]  H. Broman,et al.  Measurement of height loss during whole body vibrations. , 1992, Journal of spinal disorders.

[9]  W. G. Allread,et al.  The Role of Dynamic Three-Dimensional Trunk Motion in Occupationally-Related Low Back Disorders: The Effects of Workplace Factors, Trunk Position, and Trunk Motion Characteristics on Risk of Injury , 1993, Spine.

[10]  M Pope,et al.  The effect of posture and seat suspension design on discomfort and back muscle fatigue during simulated truck driving. , 1994, Applied ergonomics.

[11]  M Bovenzi,et al.  Low-back disorders in agricultural tractor drivers exposed to whole-body vibration and postural stress. , 1994, Applied ergonomics.

[12]  J H van Dieën,et al.  Weight and frequency effect on spinal loading in a bricklaying task. , 1996, Journal of biomechanics.

[13]  A. Burdorf,et al.  Positive and negative evidence of risk factors for back disorders. , 1997, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[14]  Y. Xu,et al.  Work environment and low back pain: the influence of occupational activities. , 1997, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[15]  A Burdorf,et al.  Physical load in ship maintenance: hazard evaluation by means of a workplace survey. , 1997, Applied ergonomics.

[16]  Jean-Pierre Meyer,et al.  Effects of Manual Handling, Posture, and Whole Body Vibrations on Low-Back Pain. , 1998, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[17]  P. Dolan,et al.  Repetitive lifting tasks fatigue the back muscles and increase the bending moment acting on the lumbar spine. , 1998, Journal of biomechanics.

[18]  Allard J. van der Beek,et al.  Assessment of exposure to pushing and pulling in epidemiological field studies: An overview of methods, exposure measures, and measurement strategies , 1999 .

[19]  W. Marras,et al.  Variation in spinal load and trunk dynamics during repeated lifting exertions. , 1999, Clinical biomechanics.

[20]  A. Hisashige,et al.  [Analyses of work-relatedness of health problems among truck drivers by questionnaire survey]. , 2000, Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health.

[21]  Svend Lings,et al.  Review Article: Is sitting-while-at-work associated with low back pain? A systematic, critical literature review , 2000 .

[22]  M. Miyamoto,et al.  An epidemiologic study of occupational low back pain in truck drivers. , 2000, Journal of Nippon Medical School = Nippon Ika Daigaku zasshi.

[23]  S Lings,et al.  Is sitting-while-at-work associated with low back pain? A systematic, critical literature review. , 2000, Scandinavian journal of public health.

[24]  B Schibye,et al.  Mechanical load on the low back and shoulders during pushing and pulling of two-wheeled waste containers compared with lifting and carrying of bags and bins. , 2001, Clinical biomechanics.

[25]  N. Stacchini,et al.  LOW BACK PAIN IN PORT MACHINERY OPERATORS , 2002 .

[26]  Marianne L. Magnusson,et al.  Guidelines for whole-body vibration health surveillance , 2002 .

[27]  Margarita Vergara,et al.  Relationship between comfort and back posture and mobility in sitting-posture. , 2002, Applied ergonomics.

[28]  A Torén,et al.  Tractor-driving hours and their relation to self-reported low-back and hip symptoms. , 2002, Applied ergonomics.

[29]  Barbara Hinz,et al.  EFFECTS RELATED TO RANDOM WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AND POSTURE ON A SUSPENDED SEATWITH AND WITHOUT BACKREST , 2002 .

[30]  M J Griffin,et al.  The relative importance of whole body vibration and occupational lifting as risk factors for low-back pain , 2003, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[31]  William S Marras,et al.  Partitioning the contributing role of biomechanical, psychosocial, and individual risk factors in the development of spine loads. , 2003, The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society.