Leadership & Lifetime Employability
Leadership & Lifetime Employability

In 95% of all cases of acute lower back pain recorded by GPs, no specific physical cause can be determined. As well as pain in the lower back, people can suffer from stiffness, tense muscles and side effects in their legs. Most acute non-specific back problems disappear of their own accord after about one month.

Possible causes of lower back pain

Although specific causes of back pain are seldom determined, there are some known risk factors that lead to back pain. According to Volksgezondheidenzorg.info the following risk factors exist:

  • Lifestyle (obesity, lack of physical activity and smoking);
  • (Work-related) psychosocial stressors (monotonous work, high pressure of work, stress);
  • Heavy physical work (such as lifting heavy items, especially incorrectly), but also working in unnatural postures and repeated twisting and bending of the torso;
  • Bad posture (standing for long periods, being seated badly for a long time, long car journeys).

The influence of lower back pain on fitness for work

In general terms, non-specific lower back pain is not a reason for calling in sick. However, the pain can be strong enough that movement is difficult for a time. GPs in this case recommend not to keep sitting still, and not to lie down for any longer than a week.

If lower back pain really prevents an employee from carrying out their work, then the company doctor is the one who should determine to what extent they are able to work and what restrictions and options apply to the employee.

 It may be that their work caused the back pain or prevented it from healing, or that adjustments are needed to their workplace, so that their fitness for work can be improved. The company doctor can also determine this.

How you as a manager can encourage fitness for work in the case of lower back pain

Of course when lower back pain exists, the advice from the company doctor on restrictions and options must be observed, but as a manager you can also have a positive influence on fitness for work by being creative about finding opportunities for reintegration. How could you adjust the work or the working conditions so as to allow the employee to continue working, or quickly restart working again?

Apart from this, you as a manager have a positive influence on the choices that employees make on lifestyle issues. For ailments involving the musculoskeletal system (of which lower back pain is one) it is also true that people are plagued less by them if they take good care of themselves. By setting a good example yourself, you can show that this is important and that it is effective. This applies not only to eating healthily and getting enough exercise, but also to sitting correctly at your screen, taking breaks at the right intervals and following the instructions for healthy working.

What are the legal rights and duties?

In the Health and Safety Law and regulations there are many rules to reduce both physical and psychological stress for employees. These include standards for lifting, pushing and pulling, for working sitting down, working with a screen, working standing up, working above your head, etc. At Arboportaal.nl you can find some information about the most common forms of physical stress and the rules that apply to these.

 The risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E) of your own organisation will state whether physical stress is a work-related risk and what you can do in order to protect your employees against it. It may also be that your sector or industry has a health, in which there are solutions to reduce the risks, that companies in this sector can apply. In healthcare, for example, many organisations have to handle the same risks. You therefore do not need to reinvent the solutions to these, you can just find them in the health and safety catalogue.

Measures you can take to prevent lower back pain

As a manager you can do quite a bit to help prevent lower back pain for your employees. Below are some general tips. In addition, you can also ask your employees what they need to prevent complaints.

Tips

  • Setting up an ergonomic workspace
  • Set up the workspace so that movement is possible. This can be done by having office chairs with an adjustable back, by using sit and stand desks, so that employees can alternate between working sitting down and working standing up. Also by providing break reminder software you can help encourage employees to stand up, change their position or even to walk away from their workspace.
  • Providing information and instructions
  • Under the Dutch Health and Safety law you are required to provide your employees with information about the risks involved in their work, and to give instructions to your employees on how they can work safely and healthily. Think about information on lifting, sitting, standing and other physical stressors in their work. Your employees, in turn, are required to follow these instructions. But instead of telling people that something needs to be done, you would do better to provide positive encouragement. People always tend to be more likely to do something when they realise it is good for them. So point out the benefits.
  • Set a good example of a healthy lifestyle
  • If you provide a live example of a fit, energetic manager who deals responsibly with stressful work and work pressure, then your employees are more likely to listen to you and follow your advice. You do not need to be more Catholic than the pope, but you do need to show clearly that it is worthwhile investing in your own health and well being.

Further reading?