Grant: Undergraduate: Mobility, musculoskeletal health and arthritis - ICS

Back pain is one of the most common debilitating musculoskeletal conditions that result in work absenteeism, and is related with insufficient muscle fitness to meet the physical demands placed on the back. More than half of nurses will experience back pain at some point in their career, and it is unclear which muscle fitness characteristics are the most predictive of back pain in nurses. As nurses have a very unique job requirement, the fitness requirements necessary may also be unique to this population. The aim of this study is to examine differences in muscle strength, muscle endurance and flexibility in 50 nurses with and without a recent history of back pain at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. The two groups of nurses with and without back pain will be recruited to be similar in age and the units in which they work. Due to sex differences in musculoskeletal fitness and anatomy, and the low number of male nurses, the current study will focus on only female nurses. The results of the current study will help to identify differences in fitness characteristics in nurses with and without back pain may reveal potential fitness targets for exercise interventions aimed at reducing back pain in nurses.