Association Between Exercise and Low Back Pain Resulting in Modified Duty and Lost Time: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of an Occupational Population.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between leisure time exercise and whether workers ever had modified duty or lost time (MD/LT) due to low back pain (LBP) in an occupational cohort. Workers (N = 827) completed a structured interview assessing characteristics of their LBP, whether or not the pain caused modified or lost work time, and their participation in leisure time exercise. Odds ratio of modified/lost time and minutes of exercise participation were assessed. Workers who participated in over 316 min/wk of leisure time exercise incurred significantly less modified/lost time, adjusted odds ratio = 0.46 (95% confidence interval, 0.23 to 0.98). There also lies a significant trend between increases in leisure time exercise and reductions in modified/lost time (P = 0.0016). These results suggest exercise reduces risk of MD/LT from LBP.