Another Research Paper Published about the Back App Chair

Kieran O'Sullivan's research has resulted in another paper being accepted for publication in the journal Ergonomics. The paper will be published online in February and the abstract and full title are below.
 For a quick summary of Kieran's work see this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeAejxr12OI
Kieran will be presenting his work at a seminar at the Back Pain show on both Feb 22nd and 23rd at the Back Pain Show, Olympia in London. For free tickets to this event and more details see backpainshow.co.uk/go/backapp



Title:

Specific flexion-related low back pain and sitting: comparison of seated discomfort on two different chairs

Abstract:

No study has examined the effectiveness of prescribing seating modifications according to the individual clinical presentation of people with low back pain (LBP). A dynamic, forward-inclined chair (‘Back App’), can reduce seated paraspinal muscle activation among painfree participants. This study examined 21 participants whose LBP was specifically aggravated by prolonged sitting and eased by standing. Low back discomfort (LBD) and overall body discomfort (OBD) were assessed every 15 minutes while participants sat for one hour on both the dynamic, forward-inclined chair and a standard office chair. LBD increased significantly more (p=0.005) on the standard office chair, with no significant difference (p=0.178) in OBD between the chairs. The results demonstrate that, in a specific flexion-related subgroup of people with LBP, increased LBD during sitting can be minimised through modifying chair design. Mechanisms that minimise seated discomfort may be of relevance in LBP management, as part of a biopsychosocial management plan.