gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Back pain is a frequent and often multifactorial conditioned cause of health-related absence of employees. However, little information is available on prevalence of spinal disorders among these persons of different branches.

Methods: Data of >20.000 employed persons were assessed with whole-body examinations and questionnaires by experienced spine surgeons during company-based back screenings conducted in 15 different branches from retail trade to large industry with different physical and mental stress.

Results: In total 27492 employed persons were assessed. 41.5% female (N=11306). Most worked in a sitting position 74.8% (N=20557) compared to 7.8% in a mostly standing position (N=2138). 17.4% in varying positions (N=4797). Light carrying loads <10kg were reported for 19.5% (N=5373) and in 9.6% regular loads of >20kg (N=2628), 70.9% were not working in a physical manner (N=19491). 77.1% were working at a computer workstation (N=21199). 8.3% (N=2285) worked double shifts, 3.2% (N=885) triple shifts and 15.8% (N=4337) worked "other" shift systems; 74.4% did not work in a shift system (N=20459).Lower back pain was reported "permanently" in 4.3% (N=1185), "frequently" in 25.8% (N=7103), "rarely" in 35.6% (N=9729) and never in 17.4% (N=4783), data was missing for 16.8% N=4629. Neck pain was reported "permanently" in 3.3% (N=894), "frequently" in 20.0% (N=5485), "rarely" in 20.6% (N=5674) and never in 30.6% (N=8421), data was missing in 25.5% (N=7018). People working at a computer workstation were asymptomatic for neck pain in 39.9% compared to those with different work models in 48.2% (p<0.001). Comparable results were seen for work in a sitting position 39.2% versus 47.0% (p<0.001). 40.4% of workers without physical moderate or heavy workload were asymptomatic for neck pain compared to 43.0% of those with physical moderate or heavy workload (p<0.001). If the physician diagnosed a stress disorder there was no elevation in the prevalence of back or neck pain, neither if a depressive condition was diagnosed. Spearman Correlation between BMI and prevalence of back and neck pain did not show strong correlations (Rho < 0.1; p<0.001).

Conclusion: Back pain is a frequently detected condition in employees of different branches. Work in a sitting position / at a computer presented lower rates of asymptomatic workers for neck and back pain. Psychological stress or depression were not correlated with back or neck pain, neither was the BMI.