The effectiveness of back exercise for the reduction of low back pain prevalence on the emergency room nurses

Background: Low back pain is a major problem in the musculoskeletal system which affects nearly 84% of adults. Those working for more than 42 hours in a week, including nurses, are at the highest risk of developing low back pain. This research aimed to figure out the effectiveness of back exercise intervention for low back pain on the emergency room nurses. Method: This research is quasi-experimental research with a control-group pretest-posttest design. This research was conducted on 12 nurses. The respondents were divided into two groups, treatment group and control group, with 6 respondents each. The intervention was measured using McKenzie’s back exercise SOP, general data questionnaires, and the Ovako Work Posture Analysis System (OWAS). The results of the measurements were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, while the results of the post-test were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney Test. Results: The difference in the nurses’ work postures was significant according to the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test but insignificant according to the Mann-Whitney Test. In the pain measurement, pain frequency was the only factor that yielded a significant value (p < 0.05) in both tests. The risk factors pain scale and pain duration were significant in the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test but insignificant in the Mann-Whitney Test. Conclusion: Back exercise intervention for low back pain in nurses is effective in lowering low back pain prevalence by reducing the risk factor pain frequency, especially prior to patient mobilization.