| Abstract
Background: Spinal load and muscle activity in occupation settings is an area of increasing
concern. Regarding technological advancements, in diverse occupations the spinal loads have
increased through constrained seated postures. Back belts are consequently used in prophylactic
and conservative management of occupational low back pain (LBP) in two distinct settings,
prevention in industry, and treatment in LBP management. Industrial sites utilize belts for LBP
prophylaxis on a large scale with their design and user experience (UE) influencing both the
effectiveness and the workers’ compliance. This pilot study aims at determining the effectiveness
of the new Tehran Back Belt (TBB) and assesses both UE and biomechanical effect (BE) on paraspinal muscle activity in healthy subjects.
Methods: A pretest-posttest study. Stage-1, design and fabrication of the TBB. Stage-2, the UE of
the designed belt evaluated in healthy volunteers (n=30) via a checklist. The BE was determined
from the level of lumbar extensor and trunk flexor muscle activity gauged during two test
conditions of sitting posture (with and without belt) over 35-minute periods.
Results: Most subjects (>90%) reported high ‘ease of use’ and ‘comfort’ while wearing the TBB.
The BE statistical analysis showed significantly reduced EMG activity levels for the longissimus
(P = 0.012, η2=0.24), rectus abdominis (P=0.024, η2=0.18) and internal oblique (P=0.001,
η2=0.44) muscles in belt-use conditions.
Conclusion: Decreased muscle activity while using the TBB is potentially advantageous for
workers as spinal muscle activity is significantly reduced. Further investigations for longer
duration effects and during real work office-based activities are warranted. |