A Meta analysis of the prevalence of spinal pain among dentists

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exertion among dentists seems to put them at increased risk for the occurrence of spinal pain. Objective: To assess the prevalence of spinal pain among dentists by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic-literature search was conducted on prevalence of spinal pain among dentists. The databases searched were CINAHL, MEDLINE, Science Direct, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), ProQuest: Science Journals, and PsycINFO. A standardised data extraction form was used to extract data. Prevalence proportions were pooled by meta-analysis. Results: The search yielded 936 studies. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis yielded a combined prevalence of 53.90% (95% CI: 41.96 to 65.84%) for thoracic-lumbar pain, 41.23% (95% CI: 27.52 to 54.93%) for lower back pain and 41.39% (95% CI: 27.81 to 54.98%) for neck pain. There was, however, a considerable heterogeneity between studies. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions including exercise and therapeutically based preventative measures may have an impact on reducing high prevalence of spinal pain.