著者

Fuminari Asada Takuo Nomura Kenichiro Takano Masashi Kubota Motoki Iwasaki Takayuki Oka Ko Matsudaira

出版者

The Japanese Society for Hygiene

雑誌

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine (ISSN:1342078X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.28, pp.36, 2023 (Released:2023-06-15)

参考文献数

43

---

Background: We designed a quick simple exercise program that can be performed in a short period of time in real-world occupational health settings and investigated the effects of three months of program implementation on non-specific low back pain (NSLBP).Methods: Participants were 136 individuals working in the manufacturing industry. The quick simple exercise program was designed to be doable in three minutes and consisted of two exercises: a hamstring stretch and a lumbar spine rotation with forward, backward, and lateral flexion. This was a randomized controlled trial incorporating an intervention group to whom the exercises were recommended within a leaflet, and a control group to whom the exercises were not recommended. NSLBP was evaluated at baseline and after three months using numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, ranging from 0 points (no pain at all) to 10 points (worst pain imaginable). The percentages of cases that improved by a minimal clinically important difference (two points or above) were compared.Results: Overall, 76.1% of the intervention group participants performed the quick simple exercises at least once every one or two days. Three months after baseline, a significantly higher percentage of participants in the intervention group (17 participants: 25%) had NSLBP improvement of two or more points on the NRS compared to that in the control group (8 participants, 12%) (P = 0.047). The average NRS score decreased significantly from 1.87 ± 1.86 to 1.33 ± 1.60 in the intervention group but showed no significant change in the control group, transitioning from 1.46 ± 1.73 to 1.52 ± 1.83. A significant interaction was also observed between the intervention and control groups (F = 6.550, P = 0.012).Conclusions: Three months of a quick simple exercise program among workers in the manufacturing industry increased the percentage of workers with improvement in the NRS scores. This suggests that the program is effective in managing NSLBP in workers in the manufacturing industry.Trial registration: UMIN-CTR UMIN000024117.

著者

Rose BOUCAUT Takuo NOMURA Kenichiro TAKANO Reiko HIROSHIMA Fuminari ASADA Satoshi OKAHARA Beatriz SANZ-BUSTILLO-AGUIRRE

出版者

Japanese Society of Physical Therapy

雑誌

Physical Therapy Research (ISSN:21898448)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.24, no.2, pp.98-105, 2021-08-20 (Released:2021-08-20)

参考文献数

66

被引用文献数

3

---

Objective: This study aimed to adapt a pre-existing cross-country comparison (CCC) model to Occupational Health Physiotherapy (OHP) practice as a basis for locating and examining contextual factors that may influence OHP practice in Japan and Australia. Method: A secondary analysis was conducted of existing publicly-available data on OHP and related influential factors, following the five components of the CCC model: work-related legislation; labor market characteristics; culture; physiotherapy practice norms; and organization of OHP practice. Results: Legislation in both countries promotes safe work and rehabilitation of work injured/ill workers. 2019 unemployment was lower in Japan with higher employment protection than Australia. Both countries have an ageing workforce and rising retirement age. Cultural differences relate to higher long-term orientation and uncertainty avoidance in Japan. Australia has higher individualism and physiotherapists are autonomous practitioners with direct access, which differs from Japan. Both countries have a national OHP subgroup, to date only Australia has OHP professional practice standards. Discussion: This study is the first to compare OHP practice in Japan and Australia. Contextual similarities and differences observed may underpin OHP practitioner role and its enhancement in work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevention and management strategies, the return-to-work process, and development of this physiotherapy discipline nationally. Conclusion: Adapting the CCC model to OHP practice enabled a structured exploration of resources and data, from which to extract and compare contextual factors that may shape OHP practice in Japan and Australia. This in turn may provide a useful springboard for further discussion about OHP practice internationally.