Spinal shrinkage, sagittal alignment and back discomfort changes in manufacturing company workers during a working day

Abstract

Prolonged standing and lifting heavy loads are risk factors for the appearance of low back pain in work. The aim of this study was to observe changes in the height, spinal sagittal alignment, and the lumbar and dorsal discomfort perception in assembly line workers. Cross-sectional study, 40 assembly line workers (6 females). Height, sitting height, grades of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis and perceived spine discomfort, before and after the working day, were determined. Thoracic and lumbar sagittal alignment was compared between discomfort developers and no developers. There was a significant decrease in the height and sitting height of the workers at the end of the day. Thoracic and lumbar curvature increased significantly, as did the perceived lumbar discomfort. Workers on the assembly line, in a prolonged standing work, suffer an increase in lumbar discomfort, and changes in height and thoracic and lumbar curvatures.

Practitioner summary: Spinal shrinkage, sagittal alignment and back discomfort (upper and lower back), were analysed in assembly line workers in prolonged standing during a workday. Assembly line workers suffer a decrease in height, an increase in their thoracic and lumbar curvature, and in lumbar discomfort throughout their workday.

Keywords:

• Low back discomfort
• lumbar lordosis
• prolonged standing
• spinal shrinkage
• assembly workers

Acknowledgements

This research has been performed, thanks to the support of the Cátedra “Empresa Sana” signed between BSH/E, MAZ and Universidad San Jorge.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Operative Programme ERDF Aragon 2014–2020, “Building Europe from Aragon”, Research Group Valora.