Why Your Back Aches

Medical experts have observed that 80% of the general population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.

They also noted Low Back Pain (LBP) as a common cause of disability and one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal disorders related to work status and condition.

 A study of Low Back Pain among healthcare workers in tertiary health institutions in Sokoto, Nigeria, showed high prevalence. It was conducted by different specialists from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria who include Dr Kehinde Awosan, Department of Community Health; Semen Yikawe, Department of Ortho-Rhino-Laryngology; Oche M. Oche, Community Health; and Muhammad Oboirien, Department of Surgery.

The research indicated that 180 (56.2%) of the 320 participants have ever experienced Low Back Pain in their lifetime, 125 (39.1%) had experienced it in the last 12 months, while 55 (17.2%) had it at the time of the survey.

“Compared to males, females had significantly higher lifetime prevalence (males 40.5%, females 59.8%), 12-month prevalence (males 29.4%, females 43.3%) and point prevalence (males 11.9%, females 20.6%) of LBP,” the study indicated.

It explained that the prevalence of LBP was significantly as twice among overweight and obese participants (69.5%), compared with those underweight and normal weight (33.3%). The prevalence also increased progressively and significantly across the age groups among the participants.

  “The prevalence of Low Back Pain among the participants in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s was 31.0%, 50.0%, 66.0% and 73.5% respectively. The prevalence of LBP rose progressively and significantly from 40.7% among the participants that have practiced for less than a  decade  to  78.6%  among those  that  have  practiced  for  about  three decades.”

It added that a substantial proportion of the participants reported that Low Back Pain had negatively affected their performance at work (32.2%), other activities after work (28.3%) and the quality of their sleep (15.6%) 

Most, 151 (83.9%), of the 180 participants that have ever experienced LBP reported that the pain commenced after starting work.

The specialists noted that lifting loads over 25kg and lifting at  a frequency of over 25 lifts per day have been estimated to increase the annual incidence of  LBP  by 4.32  and 3.50% respectively.

“From the studies, it can be seen that Low Back Pain affects the quality of life of sufferers, as pain alone can reduce their output at work and affect their social life,” the researchers pointed out.

They concluded: “The prevalence of Low Back Pain  is  high  among healthcare workers  in Sokoto,  Nigeria;  although  it  was  also associated  with  older  age  and  female sex,  being  in practice for 10 years and above; overweight/obesity, and lifting heavy objects/patients at work were the predictors identified. 

Healthcare workers should maintain normal weight and normal postures at work, while the management of the respective hospitals should prevent workplace exposures to heavy weight/objects by establishing “lift teams” as a temporary  measure,  and also implement “zero lift programmes” in their facilities as soon as possible.”

Speaking on a general note, the medical experts said Low Back Pain had been shown to account for an average number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) higher than HIV, road injuries, tuberculosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and preterm birth complications.

They recalled that Low Back Pain was ranked the sixth leading contributor to overall disease burden, estimated to be 83 million DALYs.

 In an interview with Daily Trust, Dr Muhammad Oboirien, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, UDUTH, noted Low Back Pain as second only to common cold as a cause of lost days at work.

He listed causes of LBP to include mechanical-poor/faulty posture, rupture of interspinous ligament, disc prolapse, fractures which result from trauma, congenital causes, degenerative diseases, inflammatory, infection, referred pain (gynae disorders), neoplasm(benign, malignant), metabolic and psychiatric disorders.

Oboirien noted clinical features to include pain, stiffness, deformity, weakness, paraesthesia, numbness and urinary retention.

On treatment, the consultant said they include analgesis, muscle relaxant, physiotherapy, and underlying cause, lifestyle changes, sit, stand, sleep properly, exercise regularly and maintain healthy weight.

Only 5% of people need surgery to treat back problems, he revealed.

Source: Opera Newshy your back aches

Medical experts have observed that 80% of the general population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.

They also noted Low Back Pain (LBP) as a common cause of disability and one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal disorders related to work status and condition.

 A study of Low Back Pain among healthcare workers in tertiary health institutions in Sokoto, Nigeria, showed high prevalence. It was conducted by different specialists from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria who include Dr Kehinde Awosan, Department of Community Health; Semen Yikawe, Department of Ortho-Rhino-Laryngology; Oche M. Oche, Community Health; and Muhammad Oboirien, Department of Surgery.

The research indicated that 180 (56.2%) of the 320 participants have ever experienced Low Back Pain in their lifetime, 125 (39.1%) had experienced it in the last 12 months, while 55 (17.2%) had it at the time of the survey.

“Compared to males, females had significantly higher lifetime prevalence (males 40.5%, females 59.8%), 12-month prevalence (males 29.4%, females 43.3%) and point prevalence (males 11.9%, females 20.6%) of LBP,” the study indicated.

It explained that the prevalence of LBP was significantly as twice among overweight and obese participants (69.5%), compared with those underweight and normal weight (33.3%). The prevalence also increased progressively and significantly across the age groups among the participants.

  “The prevalence of Low Back Pain among the participants in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s was 31.0%, 50.0%, 66.0% and 73.5% respectively. The prevalence of LBP rose progressively and significantly from 40.7% among the participants that have practiced for less than a  decade  to  78.6%  among those  that  have  practiced  for  about  three decades.”

It added that a substantial proportion of the participants reported that Low Back Pain had negatively affected their performance at work (32.2%), other activities after work (28.3%) and the quality of their sleep (15.6%) 

Most, 151 (83.9%), of the 180 participants that have ever experienced LBP reported that the pain commenced after starting work.

The specialists noted that lifting loads over 25kg and lifting at  a frequency of over 25 lifts per day have been estimated to increase the annual incidence of  LBP  by 4.32  and 3.50% respectively.

“From the studies, it can be seen that Low Back Pain affects the quality of life of sufferers, as pain alone can reduce their output at work and affect their social life,” the researchers pointed out.

They concluded: “The prevalence of Low Back Pain  is  high  among healthcare workers  in Sokoto,  Nigeria;  although  it  was  also associated  with  older  age  and  female sex,  being  in practice for 10 years and above; overweight/obesity, and lifting heavy objects/patients at work were the predictors identified. 

Healthcare workers should maintain normal weight and normal postures at work, while the management of the respective hospitals should prevent workplace exposures to heavy weight/objects by establishing “lift teams” as a temporary  measure,  and also implement “zero lift programmes” in their facilities as soon as possible.”

Speaking on a general note, the medical experts said Low Back Pain had been shown to account for an average number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) higher than HIV, road injuries, tuberculosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and preterm birth complications.

They recalled that Low Back Pain was ranked the sixth leading contributor to overall disease burden, estimated to be 83 million DALYs.

 In an interview with Daily Trust, Dr Muhammad Oboirien, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, UDUTH, noted Low Back Pain as second only to common cold as a cause of lost days at work.

He listed causes of LBP to include mechanical-poor/faulty posture, rupture of interspinous ligament, disc prolapse, fractures which result from trauma, congenital causes, degenerative diseases, inflammatory, infection, referred pain (gynae disorders), neoplasm(benign, malignant), metabolic and psychiatric disorders.

Oboirien noted clinical features to include pain, stiffness, deformity, weakness, paraesthesia, numbness and urinary retention.

On treatment, the consultant said they include analgesis, muscle relaxant, physiotherapy, and underlying cause, lifestyle changes, sit, stand, sleep properly, exercise regularly and maintain healthy weight.

Only 5% of people need surgery to treat back problems, he revealed.

Source: Opera News