Mary Franz - Mar 01st, 2011
Commuting by car for even an hour to work each day can strain a person's back, but what is the impact on people for whom driving is their job? Several studies have noted an increased risk of back disorders in professional drivers; however, but no research had established whether the act of driving or a background of strenuous work may be the real culprit.
The population-based, cross-sectional study consisted of 2,323 men aged 30 to 64. Interviews determined life-long exposure to professional car driving and physically demanding work. Sciatica and chronic low back syndromes were diagnosed via standard clinical examination.
Researchers analyzed the risk of clinical chronic low-back syndromes related to driving and strenuous work, and found that among the study participants, 5.4% were diagnosed with sciatica and 4.0% with other chronic low-back syndromes.
The odds ratio for sciatica in professional drivers was 1.42 and 1.31 for other low-back syndromes. When a history of physical work was taken out of the equation, it was found that exposure to driving without exposure to physical work was not associated with the increase in odds ratio. Strenuous physical work and professional driving history increased the risk of sciatica three-fold and other low-back syndromes two fold.
Researchers concluded that professional car driving on its own is not a risk factor for low back disorders, but that strenuous work may be. Chiropractors can evaluate and treat low back disorders due to strenuous work and help patients identify other risk factors in their lives that may be causing pain and long-term damage to their health.
Kaila-Kangas L, Miranda H, Takala EP, Leino-Arjas P, Karppinen J, Viikari-Juntura E, Luukkonen R, Heliovaara M. The role of past and current strenuous physical work in the association between professional car driving and chronic low-back syndromes: a population-based study. Spine. 2011 Jan 8.
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