Some 360 Dutch workers (primarily women) with recent or current low back pain were randomized to two groups. Workers in the intervention group underwent a refresher course on healthy work methods and received lumbar supports to wear on workdays in which they either had, or anticipated developing, low back pain; the control group underwent the refresher course alone.
After adjustment for confounders including BMI and age, intervention subjects averaged 53 fewer days with low back pain over the course of a year. However, the number of overall sick days (recorded in the staff register) did not differ between the groups. (A post hoc analysis of self-reported data found fewer back-pain-related sick days among intervention subjects.)
The authors conclude that "lumbar supports may be a valuable addition to secondary prevention strategies in the workplace."
LINK(S):
Annals of Internal Medicine article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)
Published in Physician's First Watch November 20, 2007
Source : http://firstwatch.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1120/2