Long-term effects of exercise programs among helicopter pilots with flying related LBP

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Flying related transient Low Back Pain (LBP) among helicopter pilots is considered an occupational distress.OBJECTIVE: To examine if exercise programs can alleviate transient LBP.METHODS: Sixty-five helicopter pilots (92% males), all reporting flying related LBP, responded to an epidemiological survey and a long-term follow-up, 44.8 months later, comprising questions regarding transient LBP and number of sick leaves. Data from 37 pilots participating in two exercise programs, A; general for LBP, B; focused for lumbar trunk (LT), included information from clinical examinations and muscular endurance tests of the LT before and after intervention. Twenty-eight pilots did not participate in any intervention.RESULTS: At long-term follow-up 42% of the pilots still reported flying related transient LBP. Among participants in program B 26% had persistent pain, 70% in program A and 46% among pilots without intervention. Sick-leave reduction was only observed among participants in program B (30% to 4%). Upon re-occurrence of LBP symptoms, half of the pilots in program B again performed exercises to improve their pain.CONCLUSION: This study indicates that exercise programs focused towards lumbar trunk muscular endurance reduces flying related transient LBP and sick-leave among helicopter pilots. These findings may have implications for the pilots’ working conditions.

Core stabilisation exercises reduce chronic low back pain in Air Force fighter pilots: a randomised controlled trial

“…Despite the similarity of resistance time between the groups at the end, the non-specific exercise routine was not able to decrease low back pain in the REG. These data corroborate the findings of other studies which found that both could be responsible for increasing strength and endurance when comparing specific core training with general exercises; however, only specific training was successful in reducing low back pain in pilots 5 24…”

Kajian Aeronautical Decision Making (Studi Kasus Medical Evacuation Sinta Auliya, Penderita Kanker Tulang Kaki dari Rembang)

“…Stressor dapat berupa tekanan waktu, pengambilan keputusan di bawah ketidakpastian, dan menyaksikan penderitaan manusia (Peter & Bauer, 2019). Pilot helikopter memiliki resiko gangguan nyeri tulang belakang (low back pain) (Andersen et al, 2018). Kru dan prajurit militer yang menggunakan helikopter memiliki potensi resiko paparan kebisingan (Sasongko et al, 2022).…”

3D Analysis of Upper Limbs Motion during Rehabilitation Exercises Using the KinectTM Sensor: Development, Laboratory Validation and Clinical Application

“…The aim of this study was to present an advanced (PiG, as in the Vicon TM system ) MLS model [ 25 ] and a new method for motion analysis based on joint trajectories complementary to joint angles during rehabilitation exercises using a single Kinect camera. Previous studies have shown that the Kinect sensor could be used to follow patients’ evolution during rehabilitation exercises [ 26 , 27 ]. This kind of evaluation, done during the rehabilitation, has many advantages: (i) it is done in the natural environment of the patient (it is known that patients are not exhibiting the same performance when they are wearing underwear in a gait laboratory); (ii) when patients are immersed in the games they are less focused on the motion and on pain and can reach larger amplitudes than when they are asked to perform one particular motion; (iii) it provides time savings; and (iv) it is financially beneficial (the devices are affordable, and since the evaluation is done within the therapy session there is no dual pricing) [ 28 ].…”