The effect of spinal immobilization on healthy volunteers.

Abstract

To determine the effects of standard spinal immobilization on a group of healthy volunteers with respect to induced pain and discomfort. Prospective study. University teaching hospital. Twenty-one healthy volunteers with no history of back disease. Subjects were placed in standard backboard immobilization for a 30-minute period. Number and severity of immediate and delayed symptoms were determined. One hundred percent of subjects developed pain within the immediate observation period. Occipital headache and sacral, lumbar, and mandibular pain were the most frequent symptoms. Fifty-five percent of subjects graded their symptoms as moderate to severe. Twenty-nine percent of subjects developed additional symptoms over the next 48 hours. Standard spinal immobilization may be a cause of pain in an otherwise healthy subject.