An experimental study of nursing work load on the low back

Abstract

The relation between work postures and muscle load, the differences of muscle load in holding two different shaped objects, a human model and a box each weighting 20 kg, and the effects of wearing a belt and a corset to reduce the low back muscle load were studied in the experimental nursing work on physically and/or mentally handicapped patients. Four female healthy college students exercised a static and a dynamic nursing work designed for the experiment. E.M.G., heart rate, subjective symptoms and maximum sustaining time were measured during the work. Results are as follows: 1) The low back muscle load increased only in sustaining the forward bending posture. 2) The forward bending posture with a load weighing 20 kg caused shortening of the time to sustain the same posture. 3) The muscle load by holding the human model was larger compared to that by holding the box, and the muscle load was different according to the shape of the holding objects. 4) Wearing a belt and a corset was effective to reduce the low back muscle load by raising the abdominal pressure. © 1979, Japan Society for Occupational Health. All rights reserved.