Preventing Chronic Back Pain in Cable Construction: A Business-Based Action Research
Type de matériel :
16
An intervention aiming to prevent chronic back pain and muscular-skeletal disorder (MSD) was implemented in the second half of 2003 at a car plant targeting employees from the cable construction division who were redeployed internally to another division within the plant. This action research consisted of exploring the benefits of creating specialized gym classes for back exercises and re-education in the workplace to help prevent chronic lower-back pain. Employees who had previously reported lower-back pain that was not (or only slightly) disabling as well as those who were in line to be redeployed to another division were all offered the opportunity to undertake a medical examination and a physical therapy check-up and to respond to a self-administered questionnaire in order to assess the functional condition of each employee, their perception of pain, and the manifestation and impact of such pain in their daily life. Employees were oriented toward appropriate gym and physical therapy classes for re-educating and improving back strength under the supervision of a physiotherapist. As a follow-up, in between sessions, the employees were invited to retake the assessment tests in order to assess and appraise the value of the effects of the exercises. The action research conducted in the workplace shows a positive contribution of the gym classes specialized in back exercises and re-education training leading to improvements in the condition of employees suffering from lower back pain. In addition, placing employees in new professional positions following their completion of these gym and physical therapy sessions proved essential to validating the acquisition of knowledge gained and the commitment to adjusting to the job.
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