The Effectiveness of the Logic Back™Support.

NCT00754585 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 082007
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Back pain and chair use are the second most important health factors for the aging workforce. Besides personal suffering, postural discomfort in the workplace reduces performance and productivity, both of which can be improved by raising comfort levels. In an attempt to improve comfort and reduce injury risk, ergonomic chairs are commonly equipped with lumbar supports in an attempt to support a "neutral" spine. However, people often alter their position when such a device is in place as they arch their back to conform to it. The Logic Back support offers a simple means to alter posture and reduce associated strain on the lower back during seated tasks by supporting the "Effortless Neutral Position" or the natural curvature of the low back. Although it has been used clinically by many practitioners, its effectiveness has yet to be shown by scientific study. The current work will help to understand if and why the Logic Back is effective and how it can become a low-cost solution to reduce the discomfort of those suffering from low back pain. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the Logic Back and the "Effortless Neutral Position" in improving comfort and functional performance during seated tasks, as compared to a standard, ergonomic chair.

Conditions

Low Back Pain; Posture

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Seated CoP Shift Rate: The CoP wil be measured by use of a TEKSCAN CONFORMat system - a thin sensing mat that is placed on the chair surface and measures the relative pressure applied by the legs and buttocks during seated tasks.

  30 minutes

• Functional Performance (Task Repetition Frequency)- three dynamic, seated performance tests are used and include: Test 1 - "Waist level-Up", Test 2 - "Eye level-down", and Test 3 - "Overhead work".

  5 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Self-Reports of Comfort: Tests such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) or mapping by body area will be used. Participants will also be asked to record their current level of discomfort on a 10cm VAS for each body area.

  5 minutes

• Postural Quantification: Electromagnetic sensors (Polhemus 3-space Isotrak system) will allow for the continuous and automatic monitoring of key body landmark positions and orientations in space.

  2 minutes

• RMS-EMG (Muscular Exertion): Following standard skin preparation (shaving as needed, alcohol cleansing and mild abrasion) surface electrodes (10 mm Ag-AgCL, 1 cm interspace) will be applied and oriented parallel to the target muscles.

  2 minutes

• Evaluation of Spinal Loads: Load on the spine is a combined effect of the posture, muscle activity and task being performed. The UM3D model is a validated lift task analysis system.

  2 minutes

Study Arms (1)

I

All participants will perform the five Chair Support tasks: (1) quiet standing, sitting, (2) upper back unsupported, (3) sitting, upper back unsupported with Logic Back in place, (4) sitting in a standard ergonomic chair, and (5) sitting in a standard ergonomic chair with Logic Back in place. Aside from the Quiet Standing trials which will be performed first, the order of Chair Support will be randomized. Participants will perform the Chair Support task for 30 minutes while quietly watching a movie DVD of their choice. The DVDs provided will the "light" in content without a lot of suspense or emotion. Data will be collected for the final two minutes of each 30-minute trial.

Device: Logic Back Grahl Duo Back Model DB11-01

Interventions

Logic Back Grahl Duo Back Model DB11-01 DEVICE

The device is placed against the back rest of a chair. The tension of the straps are adjusted for each participant to obtain the ENP.

I

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Males only, ages between 20-55 years of age

You may qualify if:

• Male
• Between ages of 20-55
• With or without lower back pain

You may not qualify if:

• Participants currently experiencing neck, shoulder or arm pain
• Participants who have low back pain of non-musculoskeletal origin

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College: lead
• Logic Back: collaborator
• McMaster University: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada

Location

Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

North York, Ontario, M2H 3J1, Canada

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Grondin DE, Triano JJ, Tran S, Soave D. The effect of a lumbar support pillow on lumbar posture and comfort during a prolonged seated task. Chiropr Man Therap. 2013 Jul 4;21(1):21. doi: 10.1186/2045-709X-21-21.

  PMID: 23826832 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Back Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Sponsor Type: OTHER

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 4, 2008
• First Posted: September 18, 2008
• Study Start: August 1, 2008
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2009
• Study Completion: October 1, 2009
• Last Updated: November 17, 2010

Record last verified: 2010-11

Locations

CA (2)