Does the introduction of a simple wedge to school seating reduce adolescent back pain?

Abstract

Back pain in adolescence is an increasingly common problem. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a change in seating position for students suffering from back pain. Volunteer students between the ages of 16 and 18 years were recruited from two schools. Students completed pain diaries on a twice daily basis. After the first week, the intervention school students were given a high density foam wedge to use on normal school chairs. In total, 48 students took part in the study: 26 in the control and 22 in the intervention school. Use of the wedge was associated with a significant reduction in both intensity and frequency of back pain recorded in the intervention school (P <0.001). The results of this study demonstrate that a change in seating position appears to reduce back pain in school students. A randomized cluster study is planned to investigate this further.