Lower back pain responsible for a third of work-related disability

Lower back pain is responsible for a third of work-related disability, according to a study led by the University of Sydney and published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.Steph Nash

Lead author of the study, Professor Tim Driscoll, said lower back pain arising from ergonomic exposure at work is a major cause of disability.

“Lower back pain arising from ergonomic exposures at work is a major cause of disability worldwide,” Driscoll said.

“The people most at risk are those aged between 35 and 65 and those who work in the agricultural sector, who are almost four times as likely to develop lower back pain and disability when compared to people working in other occuptions.”

Lower back pain in Australia sends more people to the doctor than any condition other than the common cold. At any one time, 26 per cent of Australians have lower back pain and around 80 per cent of young to middle-aged adults will experience lower back pain in their lifetime.

It is the highest cause of work loss days in the workforce, with a quarter of lower back pain sufferers taking 10 or more days off a year. This costs the economy $4.8 billion in annual health care costs – a clear example of how the burden of lower back pain extends far beyond the physical pain of an individual.

Ergonomic risk factors associated with lower back pain include heavy lifting, forceful movements, awkward body positioning and exposure to frequent vibrations. As much as these factors are obviously common to the agricultural sector, the sedentary workplace conditions of office workers can be just as bad for your back. Chronic back pain is widely attributed to bad posture, with health experts urging office workers to exercise regularly and take frequent breaks at work.

“Lower back pain arising from ergonomic exposures at work is a major cause of disability worldwide. There is a need for improved information on exposure risks … to help better understand the burden,” Driscoll said.

“This should lead to better prevention of back pain and injury, as well as decreased lost work time due to back pain.”