Lombalgia ocupacional e a postura sentada: efeitos da cinesioterapia laboral

Abstract

The above-mentioned article published by Freitas et al. 1 addresses a very relevant subject for health professionals involved with workers' health care. In this study, the authors present the effect of an intervention (10 labor kinesiotherapy sessions) on some variables, including low back pain. Results have shown that, in comparing beginning and end of the experiment, there has been decrease in the percentage of workers affected by such outcome from 100% to 68.4% (p = 0.001). What calls the attention is the statistical procedure adopted by the researchers, in this case the Chi-square test. Although referred comparisons involve the treatment of categorical data (presence or absence) and, in fact, the Chisquare test is widely used for this purpose, unfortunately in this case it is not adequately presented. The chi-square test in contingency 2 x 2 tables (in addition to allowing the use of Yates correction [needed when the association is significant], which decreases the final test value, thus making it more conservative), establishes comparisons between observed and expected proportions of both tested variables 2. Following the same principle applied in other tests (Student's t test for dependent samples and Analysis of Variance for repeated measures), the dependence between both analyzed variables (before and after intervention) prevents the application of a test not taking this point into consideration. In this sense, for being a paired analysis (the same individual compared to himself) 3 the most indicated statistical procedure would be the McNemar test, which analyzes the "discordance" between moments, that is, subjects who presented the outcome in the beginning and no longer have it, and vice versa. In addition, McNemar test composition is based on contingency 2 x 2 tables and it would be unfeasible to analyze graphs 1 and 2 data, which should be restructured for this table configuration. It should be noted that such issue does not diminish the work of the authors, but should alert graduation and postgraduation students about the importance of being careful when using statistical procedures and about the concerning disinterest of students in this topic.

Estudo da Viabilidade da utilização do Kinect como ferramenta para análise postural em profissionais da área de Tecnologia da Informação

“…Assim, a manutenção de uma boa postura durante uma atividade específica depende de uma interação complexa entre as funções biomecânicas e neuromusculares [3]. Os distúrbios clínicos relacionados à presença de dor lombar, são frequentemente atribuídos à fadiga e às deficiências musculares proporcionadas em posturas inadequadas e repetitivas [4]. A postura sentada é uma postura que a maioria das pessoas utiliza, e permanece grande parte do seu tempo nesta posição para as diversas atividades de trabalho, de escritório, nos consultórios ou mesmo durante o descanso, diante da televisão, frente ao computador, ou mesmo lendo [5].…”

“…Fernandes e Cardoso [4], em seu trabalho sobre lombalgia ocupacional e a postura sentada, apresentam autores que atribuem a presença da dor lombar a determinadas atividades ocupacionais, em que o trabalhador permanece sentado em condições antiergonômicas por tempo prolongado, visto que a manutenção de uma posição fixa não faz parte do modelo anatômico e funcional humano. Em longo prazo, pode-se gerar desequilíbrios musculares que geram modificações angulares e alterações no movimento e, consequentemente faz-se a utilização de posturas antálgicas na tentativa de diminuir o desconforto, formando um ciclo vicioso de dor e postura inadequada [5].…”

Low back pain among bodybuilding professors of the West zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro

“…Physical Education professionals have mechanical-postural low back pain related to their profession and muscle contractures caused by this condition interfere with the performance of daily activities, causing from movement limitation and medical leave to temporary disability depending on disease intensity 6 . Studies have observed the incidence of LBP in several professions 7,8 ; however, information in the literature about this condition among Physical Education professionals is still not well explained. In this sense, it is important to identify LBP and its probable causes in these professors to improve their daily lives both at work and leisure time.…”