Can back supports relieve the load on the lumbar spine for employees engaged in industrial operations?

In recent years, there has been an increased use of back supports in US industry to reduce the frequency and concomitant costs of lower-back disorders. The obvious question is, 'Can back supports relieve the load on the lumbar spine for employees engaged in industrial operations?'. This paper is directed towards answering this question because there have been mixed conclusions in the literature reporting on the efficacy of back supports. The literature concerning the biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical effects of back supports on the human spine has been reviewed as well as the use of back supports to control injury in the workplace. A critical assessment of the findings reported by various investigators has been made together with a discussion of the mechanisms used by the trunk muscles to provide extrinsic stability to the spine. It is hypothesized that the extrinsic stability of the spine is manifested through more than one mechanism. These mechanisms may act simultaneously or sequentially to stabilize the trunk. Finally, the ergonomics of back supports as a corporate policy are discussed.