Chronic lower back pain among occupational workers: effect of relaxation technique on quality of working life, pain and disability level with nurse-led intervention

Abstract

Background

Lower back pain (LBP) is the main cause of workplace impairment and a significant contributor to absenteeism. Implementing relaxation techniques in the workplace can be considered an investment because it can eventually lower the incidence of chronic LBP (chronic lower back pain).

Aim

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of relaxation techniques on the quality of working life, pain and disability level, with nurse-led interventions among occupational workers with chronic lower back pain (CLBP).

Method

A quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test method was used.

Setting

The study took place at a yarn and textile factory in Kafr El-Sheikh City, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt.

Sample

A purposive sample of 100 industrial workers with persistent LBP was chosen. The participants were matched and sorted into two equal groups: the study group and the control group.

Instruments

The study used a structured interview questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Quality of Working Life Scale (QWL), and the Oswestry Disability Index.

Results

Participants’ average age was 41.4 ± 8.7 years in the study group and 40.5 ± 7.8 years in the control group. Following the relaxation technique intervention, the study group’s pain intensity, frequency, and duration were significantly lower than in the control group. Following the intervention, the study group’s overall quality of working life improved statistically significantly, with the mean score rising from 72% in the pretest to 93.3% in the post-test. The research group’s daily activities and the overall quality of working life improved dramatically when compared to the control group. Furthermore, after the intervention, the study group’s disability levels decreased significantly, with only 46% having a disability compared to 86% before the intervention.

Conclusions

The implementation of relaxation techniques greatly improved the quality of working life in the study group when compared to the control group. There was a notable and statistically significant difference in pain intensity between the study group and the controls. Following the intervention, industrial workers’ daily living activities improved, despite persistent LBP.

Recommendation

Health education and awareness programs should be conducted to improve the quality of life for industrial workers with LBP. Additionally, occupational health nurses’ roles in the early detection and referral of LBP patients in diverse industrial settings should be strengthened.