Stanford Study Tackles Lower Back Pain
The study, “Impact of a Sit-Stand Workstation on Chronic Low Back Pain Results of a Randomized Trial,” published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) by Stanford University researchers Grant T. Ognibene, BA, Wilson Torres, BS, Rie von Eyben, MS, and Kathleen C. Horst, MD, concluded that low back pain may be improved by the introduction of sit-stand workstations which enable “postural variation” throughout the workday.
Here are the key findings:
- Reduced pain: At the end of the study, participants who used the sit-stand workstations were 78 percent more likely to report a pain-free day than those who worked at their regular workstations
- Quick intervention: Participants began to experience a difference in approximately 15 days after the sit-stand computer workstation was installed
- Increased concentration: Participants reported significantly lower back and neck pain, noting the pain was significantly less likely to interfere with their ability to concentrate
