Flemming Weidick | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Low back pain in military recruits in relation to social background and previous low back pain. A cross-sectional and prospective observational survey.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, studies on the etiology of low back pain have been carried out in adult populations. However, since low back pain often appears early in life, more research on young populations is needed. This study focuses on the importance of social background factors and previous low back pain in the development of low back pain in military recruits. METHODS: During a three-month period, Danish military recruits with different social backgrounds live and work under the same conditions. Thus, there is an opportunity to investigate the influence of social background on the development of low back pain, when persons are removed from their usual environment and submitted to a number of new stressors. In addition, the importance of the recruits' previous low back pain history in relation to low back pain during military service was studied. This was done by means of questionnaires to 1,711 recruits before and after this three-month period. RESULTS: Sedentary occupation was negatively associated with long-lasting low back pain (>30 days during the past year) at baseline with an odds ratios of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.33-0.90). This effect vanished during service. Having parents with higher education increased the risk of low back pain during service (OR: 1.9;1.2-3.0, for the highest educated group), but not of the consequences (leg pain and exemption from duty), whereas high IQ decreased the risk of these consequences (odds ratios as low as 0.2;0.1-0.8 for exemption from duty in the group with highest IQ). Long-lasting low back pain prior to service increased the risk of long-lasting low back pain (OR: 4.8;2.1-10.8), leg pain (OR: 3.3;1.3-8.3) and exemption from duty during service (OR: 5.9;2.4-14.8). CONCLUSION: Sedentary occupation is negatively associated with low back pain at baseline. This protective effect disappears, when the person becomes physically active. For predicting trouble related to the low back during service, the duration of low back pain prior to service and IQ-level are the most important factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Can passive prone extensions of the back prevent back problems? A randomized, controlled intervention trial of 314 military conscripts.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Back schools may be effective in treating back problems, but there is conflicting evidence of the effect on prevention. OBJECTIVES: To investigate if passive prone extensions of the back can prevent back problems. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled intervention trial. METHODS: In total, 314 male conscripts were randomized into two groups. After randomization, 65 conscripts dropped out for administrative reasons, leaving 249 conscripts to participate fully in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires at the start of military duty and after 10 months. All conscripts in the intervention group had one 40-minute theoretical lesson on back problems and ergonomics and had to perform passive prone extensions of the back daily during the rest of their military duty. The control group had no intervention. Outcome variables were as follows: 1) number of persons with self-reported back problems during the last 3 weeks; 2) number of persons with self-reported back problems during the last year; and 3) number of persons who reported having consulted the regiment medical physician with back problems during their military service. RESULTS: In an intention-to-treat analysis, significantly fewer persons in the intervention group versus those in the control group reported back problems during the last year (33% versus 51%), and the number needed to prevent was 6. Significantly fewer persons in the intervention group versus those in the control group consulted the regiment infirmary (9% versus 25%), and the number needed to prevent was 6. CONCLUSION: It may be possible to reduce the prevalence rate of back problems and the use of health care services during military service, at a low cost, using passive prone extensions of the back motivated by a back school approach, including the theory of the disc as a pain generator and ergonomic instructions.

Adult↗