Comparison of Supervised and Telehealth Delivery of Worksite Exercise for Prevention of Low Back Pain in Firefighters: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Issue 10 (October 2020) - Mayer, John M.
Abstract : Objective: This study assessed worksite exercise delivered by on-site supervision (supervised) or telehealth to reduce lost work time (LWT) related to low back pain (LBP) in firefighters. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial assigned 264 career firefighters to supervised ( n = 86) or telehealth ( n = 95) back and core exercises 2×/week for 12 months, or control ( n = 83). Results: 58.0% (153/264) of participants reported LBP and 7.6% (20/264) reported LWT related to LBP (control n = 10, supervised n = 5, telehealth n = 5). Participants in the control group experienced 1.15 times as many hours of LWT as the supervised group, and 5.51 times as many hours of LWT as the telehealth group. Conclusions: Worksite exercise, delivered by on-site supervision or telehealth, can reduce LWT related to LBP in career firefighters.