The limitations of isolated biomechanical considerations have long been discussed, including in osteopathic discourse. In addition, biomechanical loads do not differ significantly from people suffering from back pain and the way they lift loads. And last but not least, there is evidence that pain during lifting is modified by multiple non-mechanical influences.
A recent study from 2023 aimed to investigate these relationships.
Physical workers performing lifting tasks with and without a history of lifting-related LBP were recruited (21 LBP and 20 without LBP).
These participated in a repetitive lifting task.
It compared non-biomechanical factors between workers with and without a history of lifting-related low back pain (LBP).
The secondary aim was to investigate associations between the change in pain intensity with repetitive lifting and non-biomechanical factors tested in the LBP group.
A variety of non-biomechanical factors, including psychological, work-related, lifestyle-related, health-related and psychophysical factors, were assessed.
In fact, the LBP group reported poorer sleep quality, more musculoskeletal pain sites than just lumbar pain, and more symptoms related to gastrointestinal complaints and pseudoneurology compared to the group without a history of LBP.
Although the study population was small and causality cannot be directly inferred, the evidence is consistent with osteopathic networked clinical reasoning: namely, that chronic pain has multiple interactions, such as immunologic, neuroendocrine, and lifestyle influences.
Saraceni N, Campbell A, Kent P, Ng L, Straker L, O’Sullivan P. An Exploration of the Influence of Non-Biomechanical Factors on Lifting-Related LBP.
Int J Environ Res Public Health.
2023 Jan 20;20(3):1903.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9914774/ Also check: The osteopathy self-help book.
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