Literature review about occupational low back pain

Abstract

Low back pain (LBP) is a significant problem of musculoskeletal disorders, and a cause of disability in developed countries. In Viet Nam, recent researches indicate that occupational low back pain is quite common among workers, and the working environment contains varied high risk factors. LBP affects health, limits working capacity, increases the number of off-days at work, and reduces the chance to work again when it becomes a chronic state. In this review, there are six groups of risk factors associated with occupational low back pain, including: the restrictive awkward postures, flexion and rotation of the truck, heavy lifting, vibration action, high physical work, and psychological factors. Besides, there are also records of interactions among risk factors. Therefore, recommendations to improve working conditions for high risk workers to prevent occupational low back pain should be made and emphasized to protect workers' interests.