Original scientific paper

Pain syndromes of the spine in the active population

L. Krapac ; Institut za medicinska istraživanja i medicinu rada, Zagreb, Hrvatska
I. Jajić ; Klinika za ortopediju Medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
L. Žele ; Klinički bolnički centar Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska
B. Biočina ; Klinički bolnički centar Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska
D. Mihajlović ; Klinički bolnički centar Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

In 1981 and 1982 a questionnaire study was carried out in the Railwav Transport Company in Zagreb among 9 565 workers aged from 18 to 65 years. The majority of the employees were male (86 %), mainly skilled workers (36 %). At the time of investigation pain in the cervical spine was reported by 9.8 % of males and 17.4 %, of females (P < 0.01), whereas back pain was reported by 27.4 % of males and 28.4 % of females. The frequency of pain in the cervical spine increased with age from 2.3 % in males younger than 30 years to 16 % in those older than 51 years, and respectively from 6.8 % to 29 % in females. The frequency of back pain ranged from 11.7 % in the group of youngest males to 39 % in males older than 51 years, and from 13.2 % to 44.6 % in females. Radiating pain from the spine to the leg was reported more than once by 1.8 % of younger males, and by 29.2 % of those older than 51 years. Sick absences due to back pain of less than a month's duration were noted for 14.6 % of all workers, those lasting 1-6 months in 8 % and those longer than six months in 1.4 % of the workers. These absences were more frequent among unskilled and semiskilled workers, but were also present among young workers (2.9 %). The greatest increase in the rate of sick absences due to back pain was noted in the fourth decade of life. With regard to qualifications pain in the cervical spine was the most frequent complaint of highly skilled and unskilled workers. The frequency of radiating pain decreased in proportion with the degree of workers' qualifications from 19.1 % in the case of unskilled workers to 12.8 % among highly skilled workers (P < 0.001).

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

155128

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/155128

Publication date:

10.10.1986.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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