Prolonged occupational standing: the impact of time and footwear

Abstract

Prolonged occupational standing is strongly related to musculoskeletal disorders. Despite being the main external load bearing interface between the floor and musculoskeletal system, and easy to manipulate, footwear is often ignored as an intervention for standing related disorders. This study aimed to record the effect of prolonged standing on the body and determine the impact of footwear material. Two pairs of surgical clogs were tested, varying only in material hardness. Participants (n=12) undertook 3 hours of standing in each shoe whilst they completed a repetitive series of simulated work tasks. Biomechanical and subjective data were recorded at the start, end and every 30 minutes during the three hours of standing. There was an increase in discomfort of the low back and all lower extremity regions alongside an increase in calf circumference, selected kinematic and kinetic variables, and changes in plantar pressure distribution over the three hours. Altering the footwear material impacted on low back discomfort and plantar pressures. Shoe preference varied amongst individuals, but was consistently associated with an increased medial midfoot contact area. Overall, this study has demonstrated the effect of prolonged standing on the body, has shown footwear impacts both subjective and biomechanical measures and provides information regarding individual differences and footwear preferences.

Development and evaluation of a dual density insole for people standing for long periods of time at work

“…Yes, my feet get a lot more arch shape to them when I take the weight off them and a resultant reduction of pressure in other regions. This is in agreement with previous walking and standing research [14,15,22,23] and suggests that for these work-based tasks lower plantar pressure was an important component for comfort. Medial midfoot pressure was increased by using a softer material in the heel/forefoot section or by having a harder material under the medial arch.…”

“…The preference for harder arch materials in those with lower arched feet might be due to an increase in foot arch height that the material provides [ 28 ]. A softer arch material may enable contact with the arch in medium and high arched feet [ 29 ] and this contact may affect comfort [ 14 , 15 ]. However, we did not measure the actual response of the arch geometry and foot joints to the insoles.…”

Identifying lower limb problems and the types of safety footwear worn in the Australian wine industry: a cross‐sectional survey

“…For example, the nature of the work involved in each role was not explored in great detail, that is, how much time workers spent standing, walking or sitting in each role. Previous research has reported that an estimated 50% of the working population experience musculoskeletal disorders due to prolonged standing and that standing is implicated in lower back, lower limb and foot pain [ 30 , 31 ].…”

Identifying Lower Limb Problems And The Types of Safety Footwear Worn In The Australian Wine Industry: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

“…Safety footwear was also reported as being hot, heavy and providing poor ankle support. Many studies have explored the relationship between safety footwear and injuries with the majority focusing on; high cut lace up safety boots, military boots, gum boots, sports shoes [10] and surgical clogs [23]. These studies have identi ed many relationships, for example, gum boots are associated more with knee and heel pain while high cut lace up safety boots were associated with more leg and ankle pain [32].…”

“…Interestingly 63.3% of participants worked in more than one role, highlighting the multifaceted nature of wine industry work. While this survey did not explore the nature of the work involved in each role, i.e., time spent standing, walking or sitting, previous research has reported that an estimated 50% of the working population experience musculoskeletal disorders due to prolonged standing and that standing is implicated in lower back, lower limb and foot pain [23,24].…”