Lower back pain remains a common and debilitating problem for many Americans because of it's ability to cause discomfort and disability in those who experience it.
Any significant back pain requires a medical evaluation because of the uncommon possibility of a serious problem but most back pain is caused by injury to the muscles and joints of the lower back.
Because of the association between certain high risk occupations and back pain The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety has investigated the conditions that create these injuries by studying the forces that act on the lower back to cause injury. In doing so they give an important message to the general public about how to prevent back injuries.
What NIOSH has found is that individuals who develop back injuries do so usually because they place chronic repetitive forces over long lengths of time on the joints, bones and muscles of the back.
NIOSH analyzed the process and found that three major forces act on the lower back during movement and lifting. These forces consist of a rotational force and a compressive (downward) force on the muscles and joints from the weight of and technique used for the object lifted and the force of the individuals own upper body weight acting down on the muscles and spine during each act of movement and lifting.
NIOSH has adopted a complicated equation to describe these forces at play in occupational activities and to calculate them in order to prevent occupational lifting from exceeding forces that human backs can tolerate. For the purposes of understanding back injuries we don't need to crunch numbers or understand any math to see the take home message is that the forces that act on our lower back are proportional to what we lift, how we lift it and (quite importantly) how much force our own upper body weight exerts on our on back with every act of lifting or movement.
The NIOSH lifting equation shows that our own upper body weight is a big part of the repetitive forces exerting impact on our lower back muscles and spine. Every time we lift something or move we are putting a force down on our back that is proportional to our own upper body weight.
As Americans gain more and more weight it makes sense that lower back pain is among the most common chief complaint to doctor's offices. It is estimated that as many as 70-80 percent of adults will experience lower back pain at some point in life.
When the chronic repetitive forces on the back muscles and joints exceed the ability of body to heal itself injury develops. NIOSH learned that cases of back pain are often preventable by reducing the impact of these chronic repetitve forces on the back muscles and joints and enacted rules to limit what and how much can be lifted in the workplace. For most Americans who don't work in jobs that require repetitive lifting of objects excessive body weight is the main culprit in the development of chronic repetitive forces on the back.
Weight loss can reduce the magnitude of forces acting on our spinal joints. In a country where it has become normal to be overweight or obese back injuries are becoming more and more of a problem. By remaining at an appropriate weight people can minimize the impact of forces on the lower back.
The Western lifestyle is a medically dangerous endeavor that is creating many health problems for individuals that modern medicine can not overcome. As individuals enter into a viscous cycle of poor nutrition, sedentary living, weight gain and stress medical problems are sure to follow. We can see in this instance one small example of this process. We can imagine how weight gain might be the result of a sedentary life style and poor nutrition leading to increased upper body weight and increased forces on the back. When injury develops this could be a further roadblock to activity, weight loss and better health.
The NIOSH lifting equation, while meant to aid in management of occupational back pain, gives an important message to all with back pain and the general public. There is yet another reason to eat right, exercise and stay active: Controlling your body weight can reduce forces on the spine and prevent the development of lower back injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment