Search

Abstract: Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is a common and costly occupational injury among health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of LBP in surgeons and to analyze how individual and occupational characteristics contribute to the risk of LBP. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 250 randomly selected surgeons including 112 general surgeons, 95 gynecologists and 43 orthopedists from 21 hospitals at northern Iran. A structured questionnaire including demographic, lifestyle, occupational characteristics as well as prevalence and risk factors of LBP was used. Visual analogue scale and Oswestry low back disability questionnaires were also used to assess the pain intensity and functional disability, respectively. Results: Point, last month, last six months, last year and lifetime prevalence of LBP was 39.9%, 50.2%, 62.3%, 71.7% and 84.8%, respectively. The highest point prevalence was related to the gynecologists with 44.9%, and the lowest for general surgeons (31.7%). Age, body mass index, smoking, general health, having an assistant, job satisfaction, using preventive strategies and years of practice were found to be correlated with the prevalence of LBP (P < .05 in all instances except for age and job satisfaction). Prolonged standing, repeated movements and awkward postures were the most prevalent aggravating factors (85.2%, 50.2% and 48.4%, respectively). Rest was found to be the most relieving factor (89.5%). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the prevalence of LBP amongst surgeons appears to be high and highlights a major health concern. Further large scale studies, including other specialties and health professions such as physical therapy, chiropractic, and general medicine, should be performed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To compare the long-term effect of adding real or sham dry needling with conventional physiotherapy in cervicogenic headache., Design: A randomized controlled trial., Setting: Physiotherapy Clinic, Rouhani Hospital of Babol University of Medical Sciences, Iran., Subjects: Sixty-nine patients with cervicogenic headache., Methods: Patients were randomly assigned into a control group (n = 23) receiving conventional physical therapy; a dry needling group (n = 23) receiving conventional physical therapy and dry needling on the cervical muscles; placebo needling group (n = 23) receiving conventional physical therapy and superficial dry needling at a point away from the trigger point. The primary outcome was the headache intensity and frequency. Neck disability, deep cervical flexor performance, and range of motion were secondary outcomes. Outcomes were assessed immediately after treatment and 1, 3, and 6 months later., Results: Sixty-five patients were finally included in the analysis. Headache intensity and neck disability decreased significantly more in the dry needling compared to sham and control groups after treatment and during all follow-ups. The frequency of headaches also reduced more in the dry needling than in control and sham groups, but it did not reach statistical significance. Higher cervical range of motion and enhancement of deep cervical flexors performance was also observed in the dry needling compared to sham and control groups., Conclusion: Dry needling has a positive effect on pain and disability reduction, cervical range of motion, and deep cervical flexor muscles performance in patients with cervicogenic headache and active trigger points, although the clinical relevance of the results was small., Trial Registration: The trial design was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (www.irct.ir, IRCT20180721040539N1) before the first patient was enrolled., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Neck pain (NP) is a common occupational health problem associated with a number of professions. Many studies indicate that NP is common among teachers, yet no published study was found to address the prevalence and risk factors of NP in Iranian school teachers. The purpose of the current study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for NP among school teachers in Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 586 randomly selected primary and high schools teachers from 22 schools in Tehran, Iran. Point, last month, last 6 months, annual, and lifetime prevalence rates of NP were 24%, 29%, 33%, 37%, and 43%, respectively. There was a significant association and increased prevalence of NP with a number of risk factors such as; being female, age, general health, length of employment, regular exercise and job satisfaction (P < 0.05 in all instances). Therefore, some individual and occupational factors may make conditions relevant for the development of NP among teachers., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)