Is low back pain related to the body composition, flexibility, and postural deviations in rural workers?

INTRODUCTION

Hard work in the countryside can lead to the onset of pain conditions, which in turn trigger different degrees of labor reduction and musculoskeletal disorders. Low back pain is one of the most common disorders that lead to inactivity, and obesity seems to be associated with the development of low back pain symptoms, since abdominal fat causes mechanical demands in this region due to excessive load.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze low back pain and its relationship with body composition, flexibility, and posture in rural workers.

METHODS

Rural workers (n = 55) were grouped according to the presence of low back pain or absence of low back pain symptoms. Body composition, flexibility, and posture were assessed and compared between groups. A principal component analysis was used to group variables to identify possible associations among variables and low back pain.

RESULTS

The low back pain group presented greater obesity rates than the group without symptoms. Regarding low back pain prevalence, most of the participants had pain symptoms and showed postural deviations. Principal components analysis showed that the group without symptoms was mainly related to the amount of muscle tissue, while the low back pain group was to the adipose tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Low back pain appears to be associated with body composition and postural deviations, while musculoskeletal and adipose tissues are protective and risk factors for low back pain, respectively, in rural workers.