Employees who develop and report nontraumatic acute low back pain that occurs while performing work duties, or shortly thereafter, are classified as having occupational isolated acute low back pain (OIALBP). The purpose of this project was to identify and implement an evidence- based time frame to refer occupational isolated acute low back pain patients (OIALBPPs) to physical therapy (PT) that returns them to full duty work (FDW) more quickly. The diffusion of innovation theory aided the project leader and health care providers to develop strategies to overcome barriers in implementing the project's results into the practice. A total of 932 medical records of OIALBPPs who presented to the organization from 2009 through 2015 were retrieved and abstracted by the organization's occupational health providers. The project leader analyzed the data and identified the best time frame to refer their OIALBPPs to PT. A t test, Chi-square, and an Analysis of Variance were used in the data analysis. The results were employed to design and construct tables in Excel. Early PT is defined as a PT initial evaluation that occurs < 10 days after back pain onset. A significant (p < 0.001) difference of 13.5 days between early and delayed PT groups was identified. Significant differences persisted when evaluated by sex, age bracket, occupational group, and incidence of failure to return to FDW. In conclusion, OIALBPPs who receive early PT return to FDW nearly 2 weeks sooner than do those who delay PT. Early PT may reduce health care cost, reduce lost employee income, increase productivity, increase company revenue, and lower insurance costs. Referring OIALBPPs to PT early may lower the economic burden placed on health care budgets and society as a whole.

Le but de cette thèse est d’étudier s’il existe une méthode de récolte d’informations, autre que celle couramment utilisée, permettant de mieux décrire l’histoire naturelle des lombalgies non spécifiques. Pour cela, une revue de la littérature a été effectuée et une étude prospective dans la population générale danoise a été analysée. Deux méthodes de récolte d’informations sont utilisées pour caractériser cette évolution : la méthode usuelle par questionnaires, permettant de classer les douleurs lombaires en fonction du nombre total de jours avec douleurs dans une année, et une nouvelle méthode par suivi SMS prenant en compte la durée et le rythme des épisodes douloureux dans une année. Les résultats de la revue de littérature et l’analyse de la population générale danoise vont dans le même sens. L’évolution des douleurs lombaires est relativement stable, notamment pour ceux qui n’ont pas de douleurs en début d’étude. Les deux systèmes de classification, issus respectivement des deux méthodes de récolte, répartissent les individus en groupes non similaires. De plus, les associations de ces groupes avec des variables biopsychosociales ne sont pas les mêmes, différenciant ainsi cliniquement les groupes de chaque classification. Le suivi SMS permet d’apporter des informations plus détaillées sur le rythme des douleurs lombaires dans le temps et semble plus appropriée pour caractériser l’évolution d’une affection récurrente comme la lombalgie non spécifique. Ces résultats permettent maintenant de prévoir l’évolution des douleurs lombaires et vont faciliter l’étude plus précise de profils d’évolutions des individus afin d’améliorer le diagnostic qui, pour l’instant, reste un diagnostic d’exclusion. / The aim of this thesis is to study if there is information gathering method, other than that commonly used to better describe the natural history of non-specific low back pain. For this, a literature review was performed and a prospective study in the Danish general population was analyzed. Two methods of gathering information are used to characterize this course: the usual method by questionnaires, classifying low back pain based on the total number of days with pain in one year, and a new SMS-Track method taking into account the duration and rhythm of painful episodes in a year. The results of the literature review and analysis of data on the Danish general population go in the same direction. The course of low back pain is fairly stable, especially for those who do not have pain at baseline. Both classification systems, respectively from the two methods of collection, divide individuals into different groups. In addition, associations of these groups with bio-psychosocial variables are not the same, differentiating clinically the groups of each classification. SMS-Track method provide more detailed information on the rhythm of low back pain over time and seems more appropriate to characterize the course of a recurring condition such as non-specific low back pain. These results now predict the natural history of low back pain and will facilitate the study of individual course patterns to improve the diagnosis, which remains, for now, a diagnosis of exclusion.

Background: Pain associated with the spine (PAWS) refers to pain in the neck, thorax, lower back or sacrum. It impacts on patients' Quality of Life (QoL), including working ability, daily functioning, sleep and psychological well-being. A number of clinical trials have demonstrated that acupuncture was beneficial for patients with PAWS. However the overall effect of acupuncture on these patients' QoL is unknown. Aims: The current study aimed to conduct a systematic review (SR) of clinical trials to determine the effect of acupuncture on QoL and pain for patients with PAWS. In addition, a narrative review (NR) was conducted to compare patients' perceived changes (PCC) with the standard QoL instruments used in acupuncture clinical trials for pain. Methods: For the SR, PubMed, Embase (via ScienceDirect), CINAHL (Via EBSCO) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for PAWS condition(s) that include both QoL and pain assessments with a Jadad score of three or greater were included. For the NR, PubMed was searched to identify studies reporting PPC after acupuncture and/or traditional Chinese medicine. Extracted data were grouped and compared with domains of the QoL instruments. Results: In total, 21 RCTs were included and 17 of them had sufficient data for analysis. QoL was measured using 15 different instruments. Randomisation procedures and dropouts were adequately reported in all 17 studies. Four studies compared acupuncture with wait-list or usual-care. Two demonstrated that acupuncture had a superior effect on improving physical and mental components of QoL measured by Short Form-36 health survey questionnaire and pain at the three month follow-up. Studies comparing acupuncture with sham/placebo acupuncture or placebo-TENS found either no difference between the treatments or conflicting results. When acupuncture was compared with active interventions, there was no difference except that at the intermediate-term follow-up massage was better for disability and pain and physiotherapy was better for Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire. Acupuncture was also better than TENS for pain. The combined therapy of acupuncture and an active intervention showed a superior result than the latter alone in the short-term. Six studies were identified for the NR. Patients reported 11 categories of changes after acupuncture, such as reduced reliance on other therapies, enhanced spirituality, prevention of disease. However, these clinical outcomes were not included in any of the QoL instruments used in the included RCTs. Conclusion: There is moderate to strong evidence that acupuncture is more effective than wait-list or usual-care at the short-term follow-up in improving QoL of patients with PAWS. When acupuncture is combined with another therapy, the combined therapy seems to produce a better outcome. Acupuncture is not better than sham/placebo acupuncture or placebo-TENS. Surprisingly, the commonly used QoL instruments do not measure all the changes perceived by patients as a result of acupuncture and/or traditional Chinese medicine. There is a pressing need to design QoL assessments that are suitable for acupuncture research. Further studies should have larger sample sizes and additional validated outcome assessments are required to detect effects of acupuncture.

Low back pain is characterised by loss of ability to carry out everyday tasks, the disruption of life plans, and psychological distress as well as pain. This study examined the adaptation of individuals with low back pain. In a departure from established models used to study and understand illness representation and adjustment, this study used a personal projects approach to examine the relationship between individuals' appraisals of projects and their functional adaptation to low back pain in the context of their day-to-day goal-directed activities. A functional personal project system was proposed; specifically, those individuals whose project dispositions were highly concordant and socially oriented would have better function and health. For people dealing with low back pain, it was expected that these dispositions, and personal competency, would enhance adaptation. Conversely, poor adaptive abilities, such as difficulties with physical function, social function, and poorer health, would be associated condition-specific perceptions of pain and negative appraisals of project stress[.] The results showed there was a relationship between personal project dispositions and functional ability, well-being, and perceived general health of individuals with low back pain. The results did not confirm that a functional project system possessed adaptive benefits. However, the appraisal of pain as salient to the progress and success of projects and stressfulness of personal projects were predictive of limited function and poorer health. Notably, all aspects of function, both social and physical, were associated with pain-salience cognition. Furthermore, pain salience cognition was still predictive of function after traditional predictors of low back pain disability, pain severity or pain-related fear, were included in the analysis. The significance of the relationship of pain and negative appraisals of the effect of pain on performance supports functional self-efficacy and pain-related fears models used to explain disability level in individuals with low back pain. Since this personal projects analysis was an integrated assessment of individuals' dispositions in the context of participants' everyday lives, it was concluded that pain salience and stressfulness of projects outweighed any advantages offered by their other dispositions in negotiating the participant's personal projects.

<p>SAMMANFATTNING</p><p><p>Ländryggsbesvär är generellt vanligt förekommande i befolkningen och samhällsekonomiskt kostsamt. Riskfaktorer för ländryggsbesvär beskrivs vara flerdimensionella, där nämns främst arbetsrelaterade och psykosociala faktorer. Poliser är en yrkesgrupp där arbetssjukdomar rapporteras vanligt förekommande oavsett kön. Trots det är polisers arbetssituation dåligt utforskad. Syftet med studien är att kartlägga upplevt hälsotillstånd och arbetssituation bland utryckningspoliser med fokus på ländryggsbesvär, som underlag för preventiva åtgärder. Metoden bestod av en tvärsnittsstudie i form av en omfattande enkätundersökning. Urvalet inom polisens utryckningsenhet i Västerås var totalt. Så många som 60 % angav arbetsrelaterade ländryggsbesvär, en större del med besvär var män och förekomst av tunga lyft var vanligare bland svarande med besvär. Personer med ländryggsbesvär tog i mindre utsträckning pauser, kände sig stressade på arbetet och besvärades oftare av kroppslig värk. Deltagarna själva kopplade sina ländryggsbesvär till dåligt utformad arbetsutrustning, dålig sittställning i yrkesfordonen och till fysiska ingripanden. Av litteraturen beskrivna riskfaktorer för ländryggsbesvär var vanligt förekommande inom enheten. Där nämns ogynnsamma arbetsställningar och arbetsmoment samt psykosociala faktorer i form av hög arbetsbelastning, lågt stöd från arbetsledning och låg möjlighet att påverka sin arbetssituation.</p><p>Slutsats: För att förbättra arbetsmiljön för utryckningspoliser bör åtgärder inriktas mot belastningsergonomiska- och psykosociala faktorer i arbetet samt utformning av utrustning och arbetsfordon utifrån ergonomi och säkerhet.</p></p> / <p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Low back pain is a common disorder which causes high economic costs for the society. Risk factors for back pain are described as multidimensional, including both work related and psychosocial factors. Police-officers belong to an occupational group were work related diseases are frequently reported, irrespective of gender. The work situation for these officers however is poorly covered by targeted research. The purpose of this study is to survey the health- and work situation among police-officers with the focus on low back pain. The hope is that the results can be used as a base for preventive interventions. A cross sectional design with an extensive survey was used for the study. The selection was total within the unit of patrolling police officers in Västerås. As many as 60 % reported low back pain, with an overrepresentation among men. Heavy lifting was more common among those with low back pain. Those reporting low back pain more rarely took breaks during the work day, they felt more stressed at work and were more often troubled with physical pain. The study participants linked their back problems to badly designed work equipment, badly adjusted vehicles and to physical interventions. Risk factors for low back pain, described by the literature, were common within the unit. Especially, work tasks involving unfavorable movements and body positions were singled out. Among psychosocial factors, low social support from management and low ability to influence the work situation were associated with low back pain.</p><p>Conclusion: To improve the work environment for patrolling police-officers, measures should be focused on load and strain ergonomics, psychosocial factors as well as to develop equipment and vehicles more on the basis of ergonomics and safety measures.</p>

La lombalgie constitue une affection fréquente de la population adulte des pays industrialisés. Les médias parlent souvent de « mal de dos, mal du siècle ». Les études épidémiologiques révèlent en effet que la majorité des individus souffriront un jour du dos. La lombalgie présente généralement une évolution naturelle favorable. Les répercussions socio-économiques majeures associées aux douleurs lombaires, et qui conduisent certains à employer le terme de « fléau socioéconomique », résultent des lombalgies persistant plus de 3 mois (lombalgies chroniques) qui affectent pourtant moins de 10% des lombalgiques mais dont le traitement constitue un défi considérable pour le monde médical et la société. Ces observations ont motivé notre recherche relative à lévaluation et la revalidation de la lombalgie chronique. En effet, malgré une littérature scientifique abondante, ce sujet reste méconnu et parfois même controversé. Après avoir précisé létat de la question (chapitre II), notre contribution personnelle (chapitre III) concerne lévaluation et la rééducation musculaire du lombalgique chronique. Notre contribution comporte trois parties : La PREMIERE PARTIE déterminera les tests les plus adaptés pour évaluer les muscles extenseurs du tronc de lombalgiques chroniques. A cette fin, nous avons appliqué la procédure suivante : Etape 1 : revue de la littérature, analyse critique et sélection des évaluations disponibles. Etape 2 : analyse comparative des tests sélectionnés sur des sujets sains afin dapprécier leur faisabilité et leur reproductibilité. Etape 3 : étude de la reproductibilité des tests sélectionnés sur des patients lombalgiques chroniques. Etape 4 : évaluation de la sollicitation cardio-vasculaire des épreuves. Etape 5 : validation des épreuves en examinant la sollicitation musculaire. La SECONDE PARTIE appréciera lampleur du déconditionnement physique du sujet lombalgique chronique tout en précisant son caractère global ou local. Cette étude compare, chez des sujets lombalgiques et sains appariés, les performances des extenseurs du tronc mais également dautres muscles du tronc et des membres inférieurs ainsi que du système cardio-respiratoire. La TROISIEME PARTIE examinera lefficacité lefficacité de la nouvelle prise en charge multidisciplinaire (octobre 2004) proposée par le service de Médecine Physique du CHU de Liège aux patients lombalgiques chroniques. Lors de la discussion générale (chapitre IV), nous établirons des recommandations relatives à lévaluation et au traitement des lombalgiques chroniques.

SAMMANFATTNING Ländryggsbesvär är generellt vanligt förekommande i befolkningen och samhällsekonomiskt kostsamt. Riskfaktorer för ländryggsbesvär beskrivs vara flerdimensionella, där nämns främst arbetsrelaterade och psykosociala faktorer. Poliser är en yrkesgrupp där arbetssjukdomar rapporteras vanligt förekommande oavsett kön. Trots det är polisers arbetssituation dåligt utforskad. Syftet med studien är att kartlägga upplevt hälsotillstånd och arbetssituation bland utryckningspoliser med fokus på ländryggsbesvär, som underlag för preventiva åtgärder. Metoden bestod av en tvärsnittsstudie i form av en omfattande enkätundersökning. Urvalet inom polisens utryckningsenhet i Västerås var totalt. Så många som 60 % angav arbetsrelaterade ländryggsbesvär, en större del med besvär var män och förekomst av tunga lyft var vanligare bland svarande med besvär. Personer med ländryggsbesvär tog i mindre utsträckning pauser, kände sig stressade på arbetet och besvärades oftare av kroppslig värk. Deltagarna själva kopplade sina ländryggsbesvär till dåligt utformad arbetsutrustning, dålig sittställning i yrkesfordonen och till fysiska ingripanden. Av litteraturen beskrivna riskfaktorer för ländryggsbesvär var vanligt förekommande inom enheten. Där nämns ogynnsamma arbetsställningar och arbetsmoment samt psykosociala faktorer i form av hög arbetsbelastning, lågt stöd från arbetsledning och låg möjlighet att påverka sin arbetssituation. Slutsats: För att förbättra arbetsmiljön för utryckningspoliser bör åtgärder inriktas mot belastningsergonomiska- och psykosociala faktorer i arbetet samt utformning av utrustning och arbetsfordon utifrån ergonomi och säkerhet. / ABSTRACT Low back pain is a common disorder which causes high economic costs for the society. Risk factors for back pain are described as multidimensional, including both work related and psychosocial factors. Police-officers belong to an occupational group were work related diseases are frequently reported, irrespective of gender. The work situation for these officers however is poorly covered by targeted research. The purpose of this study is to survey the health- and work situation among police-officers with the focus on low back pain. The hope is that the results can be used as a base for preventive interventions. A cross sectional design with an extensive survey was used for the study. The selection was total within the unit of patrolling police officers in Västerås. As many as 60 % reported low back pain, with an overrepresentation among men. Heavy lifting was more common among those with low back pain. Those reporting low back pain more rarely took breaks during the work day, they felt more stressed at work and were more often troubled with physical pain. The study participants linked their back problems to badly designed work equipment, badly adjusted vehicles and to physical interventions. Risk factors for low back pain, described by the literature, were common within the unit. Especially, work tasks involving unfavorable movements and body positions were singled out. Among psychosocial factors, low social support from management and low ability to influence the work situation were associated with low back pain. Conclusion: To improve the work environment for patrolling police-officers, measures should be focused on load and strain ergonomics, psychosocial factors as well as to develop equipment and vehicles more on the basis of ergonomics and safety measures.

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones / El dolor lumbar en niños y adolescentes es un problema de salud que va en aumento. Desde la Fisioterapia se aborda este problema con medidas preventivas y de tratamiento. El objetivo de esta Tesis fue estimar la prevalencia del dolor lumbar en niños y adolescentes, así como, analizar la eficacia de las diferentes modalidades fisioterapéuticas para la prevención y el tratamiento del dolor lumbar en esta población, mediante tres estudios meta-analíticos. Para la búsqueda de los estudios se utilizaron fuentes formales e informales, lo que nos permitió identificar 86 artículos que cumplieron con los criterios de selección. Respecto de los resultados, las tasas de prevalencia de vida en el dolor lumbar de niños y adolescentes fueron más altas en los sujetos de mayor edad, y en los estudios más recientes y de mejor calidad metodológica. Los tratamientos preventivos de Fisioterapia para el cuidado de la espalda en niños y adolescentes fueron eficaces para la adquisición de conocimientos y mejora de las conductas saludables. Para adquirir conductas los tratamientos fueron más eficaces cuando se combinó la adquisición de conocimientos con el entrenamiento de hábitos posturales, cuando se combinó la enseñanza teórica y práctica y cuanto mayor fue el número de horas por semana y el número de horas total de tratamiento que recibió cada sujeto. Los tratamientos de Fisioterapia para el dolor lumbar en esta población fueron eficaces, siendo la combinación de acondicionamiento físico terapéutico y terapia manual el más eficaz. / Low back pain (LBP) in children and adolescents is a health problem that is increasing, and the physiotherapy addresses this problem with preventive and treatment interventions. The aim of this Dissertation was to estimate the prevalence of LBP in children and adolescents and to analyze the effectiveness of different physiotherapic modalities for preventing and treating LBP in this population, by means of three meta-analyses. Formal and informal sources were used to search for the studies, identifying a total of 86 articles for the three meta-analyses that met the selection criteria. Regarding the results, rates of lifetime prevalence for LBP in children and adolescents were higher in older subjects, as well as for more recent studies and with a better methodological quality. Physiotherapy preventive treatments for LBP in children and adolescents were effective in acquiring knowledge and improving healthy behaviors. To modify behaviors, preventive treatments were more effective when combined with knowledge acquisition training postural habits, when combined theoretical and practical teaching and the greater the number of hours per week and the total number of hours of treatment received by each subject. Physiotherapy treatments for LBP were effective in this population, with the combination of therapeutic physical conditioning and manual therapy as the most effective.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 69 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Nursing staff members (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides) have one of the highest incidence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of all occupations. Ergonomic research has identified patient handling and movement tasks that put the caregiver at high risk for a WMSD each time they are performed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of performing the highest risk tasks, as well as certain other risk factors affecting physical workload, were related to the frequency of musculoskeletal discomfort. Also investigated was whether the manual handling workload varied by job category. The cross-sectional study was conducted at a Veterans' Administration hospital in Tampa, Florida in August 2001 on 11 in-patient units with 113 participants, who completed musculoskeletal discomfort and demographic surveys at the end of a week of observation of their workloads. / ABSTRACT: Multiple regression analysis indicated that the number of high risk patient handling and movement tasks performed per hour, the number of patients cared for who weighed 212 pounds or more, and the interaction of the two were associated with the frequency of knee and wrist pain, but not with low back pain. The following variables were not associated with the frequency of musculoskeletal discomfort in any body part: patient census/able bodied staff ratio, patient classification rating, or number or use of patient handling and movement equipment. Manual handling workload did differ significantly among job categories, with registered nurses performing the fewest at- risk patient handling tasks and nursing aides the most. The seven-day prevalence rate of at least moderate discomfort in at least one body part was 62%. / ABSTRACT: Recommendations include instituting recorded patient assessments to standardize the type of equipment and the number of staff members needed for specific handling and movement activities, as well as improved staff training. Further research is needed on the following: biomechanical forces on the wrist and knee during patient handling and movement tasks; the effect of patient weight on the risk of patient handling and movement tasks; and psychosocial stressors in addition to the physical workload of nursing staff. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Objectives To assess physical fitness in pregnancy and to evaluate its effect on perceived health, back pain, blood pressure and duration of gestation. Also, to evaluate the effect of serum relaxin levels on blood pressure and duration of gestation. Material and methods A prospective cohort of 520 pregnant women were examined in early pregnancy and five months postpartum with regard to socio-demographic characteristics and estimated peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2 peak, est.). Serum concentrations of relaxin were carried out in early pregnancy. Physical exercise, possible back pain and blood pressure were measured repeatedly throughout pregnancy. Results Absolute V̇O2 peak, est. in early pregnancy was positively correlated to perceived health, which was lower during than after pregnancy. The average absolute V̇O2 peak, est. in early pregnancy of 2.4 l/minute was 0.02 l/minute less than the V̇O2 peak, est. postpartum, while regular physical exercise decreased throughout pregnancy. Absolute V̇O2 peak, est. in early pregnancy was not associated to the incidence of any low back pain location in pregnancy or postpartum, but inversely to intensity of back pain and diastolic blood pressure and positively with duration of gestation. Elevated serum relaxin levels were associated with decreased diastolic blood pressure and higher duration of gestation among women with miscarriage. Conclusions Perceived health, diastolic blood pressure and duration of gestation were positively affected by physical fitness while no effect was shown on the incidence of back pain. The effect of physical fitness on duration of gestation and diastolic blood pressure might have clinical implications as well as the increased serum relaxin levels on miscarriages.