The Effectiveness of the Logic Back™Support.

Overview

Back pain and chair use are the second most important health factors for the aging workforce. Besides personal suffering, postural discomfort in the workplace reduces performance and productivity, both of which can be improved by raising comfort levels. In an attempt to improve comfort and reduce injury risk, ergonomic chairs are commonly equipped with lumbar supports in an attempt to support a "neutral" spine. However, people often alter their position when such a device is in place as they arch their back to conform to it. The Logic Back support offers a simple means to alter posture and reduce associated strain on the lower back during seated tasks by supporting the "Effortless Neutral Position" or the natural curvature of the low back. Although it has been used clinically by many practitioners, its effectiveness has yet to be shown by scientific study. The current work will help to understand if and why the Logic Back is effective and how it can become a low-cost solution to reduce the discomfort of those suffering from low back pain. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the Logic Back and the "Effortless Neutral Position" in improving comfort and functional performance during seated tasks, as compared to a standard, ergonomic chair.

Seventeen of the top Canadian occupations typically have workers sitting a significant proportion of their work day. An average of 30% of Ontario WSIB lost time claims since 1996 involve low back injury. The return to work objective for twenty percent of these patients requires prolonged sitting in their work stations. While a number of these studies have claimed a relationship between sitting and LBP, the relationship is complex. Back pain and chair use are the second most important health factors for the aging workforce. The odds ratio for LBP is estimated for seated tasks at 1.9721. Prolonged and monotonous, low-level mechanical loads associated with a seated posture are thought to provoke pain. Besides personal suffering, postural discomfort in the workplace reduces performance and productivity, both of which can be improved by raising comfort levels. According to Corlett (2006), other lumbar supports do not exert enough pressure on the spine to actually change its configuration. However, the patient often alters their posture when such a device is in place as they arch their back to conform to it. The Logic Back support offers a simple means to alter posture and reduce associated strain on the lower back during seated tasks by promoting the neutral standing lordotic posture. Clinically, it has been shown to support the ENP or the natural standing lordotic posture. Although its clinical applicability has been accepted by many practitioners, its effectiveness in improving seated comfort and functional task performance has yet to be quantified in LBP patients who perform seated tasks. This study will help to understand why the Logic Back or ENP must be considered when planning return-to-work goals and methods to reduce first-time injury incidence in the workplace.