The UK P&I Club launched recommendations on how to support crew that suffers from back pain, an impact which may be caused by day to day heavy lifting and shipboard activities. Back pain is a major cause of disability on a global scale, while it is also a common health problem experienced in the maritime workplace.
Accordingly, back pain can be mostly caused by prolonged sitting, lifting a heavy load, incorrect posture and muscle imbalance are just some of the causes.
The Club highlights that prolonged sitting relates to back pain and an overall negative impact to health. Thus, the sedentary lifestyle is associated with various health hazards such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Declaring a history of back pain is important at the PEME, although many sources of back pain can be difficult to locate.
Some of the UK Club Crew Health approved physicians advise:
- During pre-employment medical check-up, as far as examination of extremities and spine is concerned, physicians can perform SLR (straight leg raising) test by virtue of which, they can determine the mobility of spine and other nervous disorders related to spinal nerves.
- Crew members who undergo strenuous activities such as long standing, lifting heavy objects, bending forward etc., are prone to back problems
- Back problems involving the spine certainly are difficult problem to handle. More often, the conditions occur during the course of employment, as these are associated with trauma (e.g. fall, impact injury to the back, etc.) or poor positioning when lifting a heavy object where the sudden upward jerk misaligns the vertebra that eventually results in disc problems.
- Back care includes good posture and simple exercises to help strengthen the core and other muscles that support the back.
- Some Crew Health programme members opt to use a self-declaration of back and spine for their crew at PEME (example attached at the end of the advice sheet). The questionnaire helps raise awareness of back and spine aggravators and provides a good source of additional information for the doctor.
Therefore, back care is very important to relieve the pain and strengthen the core and other muscles that support the back.
- 2 Minutes of Warm-up – Breathing Forward
- Hip Rolls
- Side Kick
- Ab Prep
- Cat Stretch
- 2 Minutes of Cool Down
Overall, it is clear that training plays a crucial part in the seafarers’ routine, not only for back pain, but for their general health condition and healthy lifestyle.
To learn more on how to improve back pain, click herebelow
