Authors: Madhubabu Kothapalli
Affiliation
Preventa Curo – Centre for Workplace Healthcare & Research, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, India
Abstract
Background. Work-related low back pain is very common in computer users due to prolonged sitting time at work. The lower back muscle strength weakness is associated with occurrence of back pain in computer users. It is very essential to find out effective back pain prevention methods at sub-clinical level.
Aims. This study aims to investigate the Biering-Sorensen test as a screening tool to measure lower back muscle strength and sub-clinical back strain in computer users.
Methods. This cross-sectional study recruited 520 IT employees (262 men and 258 women) from various companies in Q City Tech Park, Hyderabad. The subjects without any back pain from the last year were included in this study. The Biering- Sorensen test was used to assess back extensor muscle endurance strength. All the participants were assessed position hold time (PHT). The Biering-Sorensen test itself is a provocative of back pain. Any back strain during the test was also recorded for data analysis.
Results. Logistic regression analysis showed significant association between back extensor endurance strength and risk of back strain in both genders (p<0.01 and p=0.04). Position hold time for poor and medium performance categories were positively associated with a risk of back strain, whereas good performance category has no significant association.
Conclusions. The results of this study are helpful to understand the possibility of back pain occurrence at sub-clinical level. We believe that the Biering- Sorensen test could have a great value to design appropriate back pain prevention programs.
Keywords: Biering-Sorensen test, muscle strength, low back pain, computer users, WMSDs.
