Effectiveness of lumbar supports in low back functionality and disability in assembly-line workers

Abstract

Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem in manufacturing workers. Several strategies have been proposed in order to reduce the pain and/or improve functionality. Among them, lumbar supports are a common solution prescribed for lumbar pain relief. Most of the studies in the literature only consider subjective sensations of the workers for evaluation assessment. This study applies biomechanical tests (a flexion-relaxation test and a functional movement evaluation test) to analyse the effectiveness of flexible lumbar supports in functionality and disability versus placebo intervention, consisting of kinesiotape placed on the low back without any stress. 28 workers participated in the study, randomised in control and intervention groups with a two months’ intervention. None of the biomechanical tests showed statistical differences in between-groups pre-post changes. No benefits of wearing a flexible lumbar support during the workday have been found in these assembly-line workers versus placebo intervention.

Comparison of Semirigid and Rigid Lumbosacral Orthoses in Association with Routine Treatment of Pain, Fear of Movement, and Disability in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation

“…Therefore, physiotherapy because of being useful in strengthening lumbar muscles can increase the person’s ability to perform his/her daily activities, which confirms the results of previous studies 25,26 and current research to some extent. Regarding the orthosis effect, on the other hand, some previous studies reported no improvement in pain score or disability using rigid or semirigid LSO in persons with low back pain 16,27 . However, other studies reported improvements in these parameters by wearing LSOs 12,24 .…”

“…Regarding the orthosis effect, on the other hand, some previous studies reported no improvement in pain score or disability using rigid or semirigid LSO in persons with low back pain. 16,27 However, other studies reported improvements in these parameters by wearing LSOs. 12,24 It should be noted that various disorders caused low back pain in previous studies, but the present study only evaluated people with low back pain due to herniation and that findings of the present study confirmed positive effect of LSOs, especially the semirigid type, along with routine treatment.…”

“…On the other hand, for the effectiveness of a treatment method, one of the most important parameters is measuring pain in these patients since by reducing the pain, the positive effect of the treatment method can be realized to some extent. Based on similar articles, 16,17 two parameters of fear of movement and disability were also measured in association with pain to be an acceptable proof for the interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of the routine therapy along with two types of rigid and semirigid orthoses compared with the routine treatment alone on pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with herniated lumbar disc.…”

Design and Development of Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Orthosis Brace to Reduce Back Pain

“…Meanwhile, the design of the spinal girdle specifically for brick-making industrial workers and its effectiveness has not been explored much. Several similar studies include the design of lumbar supports for assembly line workers (Bataller-Cervero et al, 2019), wearable lumbosacral support types for hospital workers (Hagiwara et al, 2017), designs of back belts aimed at preventing back pain due to prolonged sitting (Mokhtarinia et al, 2019).…”

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lumber Corset Wearing in Low Back Ache: A Rehabilitation Center Based Cross-sectional Study

“…In managing backache, most patients are commonly advised to use lumber support [16,17] to limit the impairment and disability, without expecting any long term adverse effect on muscle strength (18). In these days, many studies are supported by the lack of strong evidence that spinal orthosis prevents and improves the condition [19][20][21]. Nonetheless, the current trend among the medical practitioners is plummeting in advising to use the Lumber Corset (LC) without considering the large gaps between evidence and practices that persist in the management of LBA.…”