Static balance modification during the workday in assembly chain workers with and without current low back pain

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common recurrent pathology among assemblychain workers. This population tends to spend most of the workday in a static standing posture andhandling loads, with balance being essential for correct job performance. LBP is related to poorerpostural control, so balance could be affected in this condition. Methods: The purpose of the presentstudy is to analyze the deterioration of static balance generated by work activity in a prolongedstanding position. We assess sway with a pressure platform at three moments of the workday (before,during, and after work), comparing the different balance parameters in 22 manufacturing plantworkers with (17) and without (5) LBP. Results: In the pre-work capture, an independentt-testshowed no significant differences between the pain and non-pain groups’ static balance parameters.Between the pre- and mid-workday captures, a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures showed asignificant decrease in the medial-lateral center of pressure displacement with open eyes in workerswith LBP. Conclusions: workers with low back pain do not show a greater deterioration in staticbalance than workers without pain during the workday.