Mechanical stress reduction during seated jolt/vibration exposure.
The risk of experiencing low back pain is associated with mechanical factors. Anatomic factors, such as advancing pregnancy, can also place extra mechanical stress on the lower back. Mechanical factors, such as those related to the workplace, can be minimized by ergonomic interventions. A constrained, seated posture, in combination with exposure to whole-body, jolt/vibration can impose significant stresses on the posterior intervertebral disc and can lead to back muscle fatigue. Interventions that reduce the jolt/vibration magnitude and duration of exposure will decrease the mechanical work performed on the intervertebral disc. Such interventions range from jolt/vibration isolating seats and vehicle cabs, to decreasing exposure time and maintaining simple supported postures during ingress and egress. Improvements in seat configuration can reduce the intervertebral disc pressure and the strain on the posterior disc.
Iowa Spine Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
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Wilder
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Pope
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Magnusson
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011187:Posture; D011247:Pregnancy; D014732:Vibration