1986 Volume 31 Issue 2 Pages 163-171
The onset and prevention of occupational low back pain, particularly the acute causality low back pain which occured during work has called attention of the current investigators. In the recent years, appearance of non-causality low back problem with gradual increase of pain at the back and waist of the body has been observed without any clear indication of causality factors. Increase in the non-causality low back pain have called the national attention, too, as it became to be pronounced as an occupational disease. Business enterprises where low back pain is often complained, special medical examination is administered. However, effective evaluation method of reliable diagnosis is to be developed yet. The relationship between appearance of low back pain and physical fitness results among 93 male garbage collectors in certain M-city was investigated. Obtained results were as follows: 1. From a questionnaire survey among the workers, the appearance of low back pain in garbage collectors in the past mongth was found to be 49.5%. The rate of past low back pain experience ,55.9% was higher than the former. 2. Regarding the present condition, the pain seemed to be rated as "light", but many complain its chronic nature, suggesting the necessity of administrative considerations to cope with such chronic low back pain. 3. In the physical fitness recordings, values in trunk hyper-extention and single-leg staning with eyes open decreased with age. The values of trunk hyper-extention and back strength were lower than those of national standard in the same age group. 4. No relationships were found between physical fitness and appearance of low back pain in the past month. However, decline of the fitness level particularly at the low back along with increase of work experience years was observed among those who complain such low back pain.
