Back Pain: Prevention

To prevent back pain, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Biographical causes

  • Occupations-occupations with
    • Heavy labor (e.g. construction).
    • Carrying and lifting heavy loads (eg, construction, parcel services).
    • Impacts of vibrations on the body (eg, rammers, drills).
    • Working in a seated position (eg, office workers).
    • Work with increased exertion or application of force.
    • Work in unfavorable posture (forced posture) (eg floor layers, screed layers, hairdressers, watchmakers).
    • Constantly repetitive work (eg, assembly line workers).

Behavioral risk factors

  • Stimulant use
    • Tobacco (smoking) – may be the cause of degenerative disc processes.
  • Physical activity
    • Physical inactivity
    • Excessive or incorrectly performed sports activity
    • Heavy physical work that strains the back (e.g. carrying, lifting heavy loads).
    • Unilateral loads such as long sitting at work.
    • Postural deformities, incorrect loading, overuse
  • Psycho-social situation [psychosocial risk factors have a high significance for the chronification of back pain (Evidence Grade (EG), Level A)]
    • Stress
  • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).

Medication

  • Α4β7-integrin antagonist (vedolizumab).
  • Glucocorticoids – osteoporotic fractures (fractures caused by bone loss).
  • Opiates – in the withdrawal of opiates.
  • Analgesics (painkillers) – in the withdrawal of analgesics.

Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).

Other risk factors

  • Pregnancy

Chronification risks for nonspecific low back pain (modified from)

  • Psychosocial situation (psychosocial risk factors; level of evidence (EC), level A).
  • Persistent disstress in professional and private everyday life.
  • Increased tendency to depressive processing of emotional stresses
  • Passive protection and avoidance behavior (pain processing via Fear-Avoidance-Believes, FAB).
  • Hiding pain in order to persevere