Practice points
- LBP affects between 14% and 80% of working-aged people, depending on case definition.
- Disc protrusion and disc degeneration, as determined by MRI, are strongly associated with LBP.
- Work-related factors, including heavy lifting and frequent bending and twisting, are associated with lumbar disc disease.
- Population studies of cervical pain and cervical disc disease have lagged behind studies of the lumbar spine.
Research agenda
- Large prospective population studies using MRI and accurate baseline assessment of occupational exposures are needed, especially in men.
- There is a need for more studies of cervical disc disease and occupational