Effects of Exercise and Back Counselling for Nurses

Low back pain (LBP) is most common occupational health problem among nurses. Therefore, how to prevent and reduce low back pain have been the important issue for nurses. A Quasi-Experimental design is used in this study to compare the effectiveness of 12-week exercise and counselling program to reduce low back pain in nursing personnel compared with counselling alone.

A Quasi-Experimental design is used in this study. Purposive sampling is used to recruit participants from medical center in Central Taiwan. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: (1) exercise and back counselling, and (2) back counselling only. The results of this study will provide a guideline for nurses to prevent and to improve low back pain.

A Quasi-Experimental design is used in this study. Participants are randomly assigned to exercise and back counselling group or back counselling only group.

Twelves-week exercise training sessions include a variety of strength, flexibility, and coordination exercises. Each exercise session lasts for one hour. Participants are expected to attend exercise session once a week and are encouraged to continue exercising at home.

Procedure of back counselling includes one session back counselling, lasting one hour. The topics of back counselling session are as follows: (1) Anatomy of lumbar; (2) Factors causing low back pain; (3) Problems of physical inactivity for the lumbar; (4) Risk of poor postures for developing persistent/chronic low back pain; (5) Maintaining right posture of the lumbar; (6) Avoiding harmful loading of the back during work and leisure time.

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is used in this study to assess the intensity of low back pain with numeric rating scale 0-100 mm during the past month.

Change from Baseline Musculoskeletal Symptoms in the Low Back Area at week 6, week 12, month 3 and month 6

Version of the low back questionnaire in Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) is used in this study to assess the musculoskeletal symptoms in the low back area.

Chinese version of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is used in this study to assess the baseline functional status and its change over time for patients with back pain

Inclusion Criteria: Has worked at current job for at least 12 months; Intensity of low back pain on Visual Analogue Scale (scale 0-10) at least two during the past 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: Serious former back injury (fracture, surgery, disc protrusion); Pregnant; Other serious disease or symptoms that limit participation exercise defined by a physician.