Occupational aspects of low back pain

Low back pain is a very common ailment among workers of all ages. Approximately 60-90% of the adult population suffers from low back pain at least once during their life time. The yearly incident rate of low back pain is about 1-2%. This is one of the major causes of occupational illnesses and absence from work. A high rate of low back pain is found among workers involved with heavy physical labour and also among truck drivers. Risk factors for low back pain are intense heavy labour, lifting heavy objects, protracted static positions, repetitive movements and awkward body postures accompanied by vibration. Prolonged standing and sitting are not risk factors for low back pain. Work dissatisfaction, low wages and low levels of education are possible predictors for low back pain. The only reliable predictor of future low back pain is the evidence of previous back pain as disclosed during the preemployment health examination.