Occupational Low Back Pain — Workers Who Handle Heavy Loads
Table of Contents
Heavy-load handling and the strain on the lumbar spine
In logistics, construction, and manufacturing, repeatedly lifting, carrying, and lowering heavy objects is the industrial activity that places the greatest strain on the lumbar spine. Handling objects over 20 kg dozens of times a day exposes the lumbar discs to cumulative pressure 3–5 times above normal levels. As a result, disc degeneration can progress 10–15 years earlier than in the general population.
Stages of occupational low back pain
- Early: Soreness in the lower back after work that improves with rest → usually ignored
- Progressive: Stiff back in the morning, difficulty straightening up, persistent dull ache throughout the day
- Worsening: Radiating pain from the buttock down the leg, suspected disc herniation → imaging required
- Chronic: Lasts more than 3 months, work capacity declines, time to file a workers' compensation claim
Chuna manipulation and spinal correction
For occupational low back pain, chuna manipulation plays a key role in correcting displaced lumbar vertebrae and widening the intervertebral foramina to reduce nerve irritation. Correcting facet joint subluxation at the L4–L5 and L5–S1 segments often produces immediate pain relief. Chuna is performed 2–3 times a week for 4–6 weeks.
Herbal medicine treatment
Occupational low back pain often presents as kidney-deficiency low back pain (sinheo-yotong). Long-term overwork depletes the essence (jeonggi) of the kidney (sin), weakening the back's supporting force. We use Dokhwal-gisaeng-tang (Duhuo Jisheng Tang) as the base prescription, and when kidney deficiency is pronounced, we add Ducung (Eucommia), Sokdan (Dipsacus), and Bogolji (Psoralea) in higher doses to reinforce kidney qi.
Recommended workplace improvements
Treatment must be combined with workplace improvements to prevent recurrence:
- Always bend the knees before lifting and use leg strength
- For loads over 25 kg, work in 2-person teams or use mechanical aids
- Perform back stretches for 5 minutes every hour
- Wear a back support belt (lumbar belt) to assist abdominal pressure