Low back pain is a syndrome that up to 85% of the world’s population has experienced at least once in their lives and is a very common syndrome in medicine. Low back pain is very common especially in industrialized advanced western countries. In almost 80% of acute (sudden onset) low back pain cases, recovery occurs within 6 to 8 weeks, regardless of treatment. However, about 40% of them develop a second attack within a year. On the other hand, 80% of those with chronic low back pain develop a new attack within a year. The important thing here is to recognize the factors that initiate and chronicize the pain and to take precautions in order to prevent the first acute attack and to prevent the chronicity of low back pain and subsequent disability. Therefore, risk factors for low back pain were investigated. These:
- Those related to the profession
- Those related to sports activities
- Personal risk factors
- They are psychological factors.
- Occupational Risk Factors
Do not pull up heavy thing; Lifting without bending the knees, rotation with bending during lifting, asymmetrical lifting, continuous repetition of the movement are risk factors for low back pain. Lifting heavy objects without bending the knees has been shown to increase the risk of herniated disc. In heavy lifting, repetition of lifting is also important in addition to the weight of the object. Occupations that require heavy physical activity and long-term standing are among the most common groups with low back pain. Unsuitable physical conditions of the workplace are also a risk factor.
Vibration: It has been proven in various studies that exposure to high vibration causes muscle fatigue by increasing muscle activities, disrupting disc nutrition, causing disc degeneration and an increase in the incidence of herniated disc. In a study conducted with bus drivers and repairmen, a relationship was found between the frequency of low back pain and the lifetime, total body vibration or length of exposure to vibration. It was determined that the highest incidence of low back pain and lumbar hernia was in bus drivers who were exposed to vibration the most. The incidence of herniated disc in truck drivers is 5 times higher than in non-drivers.
Other occupational factors: The rate of low back pain is higher in foreign workers. Here, there is the psychological stress caused by the unqualified workers, the fact that they are employed in harsher physical conditions, and that they do not know the language.
Risk Factors Related to Sports Activities
The sports branches with the highest incidence of low back pain are gymnastics, football, weightlifting, wrestling and rowing. Low back pain was detected in 6% of high school students playing football and 30% of university students.
Personal Risk Factors
Among these factors, the most mentioned are smoking, physical adjustment disorder and previous low back pain. Smoking becomes more important in those who have a history of smoking more than 50 packs a year as a risk factor and if these people are under the age of 45. The effects of smoking have been attributed to frequent coughing, increased pressure in the discs between the vertebrae, unhealthy lifestyle and osteoporosis. Smoking disrupts the nutrition in the disc, making it more sensitive to external factors. However, it should be noted here that the relationship between smoking and low back pain in various occupational groups has been investigated and it has been found that the relationship is only seen in those who do heavy physical activity.
Psychological Factors
Those who do not like their job are 2.5 times more likely to go to the doctor for low back pain than those who love their job. Being dissatisfied with one’s job and not being appreciated are risk factors for low back pain. Inability to concentrate due to stress causes low back pain, especially in industry, resulting from work accidents, and stress is accepted as a risk factor.