The orthopedic surgeon says new formation of bone depends on an adequate supply of blood and oxygen reaching that area and notes that smoking is detrimental to blood supply and oxygen delivery. Back injuries are the leading cause of disability among otherwise healthy adults. In 1998, numbers gathered by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that there were 279,507 back injuries due to overexertion which lead to missed work days. Eighty-nine percent of these accidents occurred in material handling. Increasing numbers of individuals like construction workers, stock clerks, and delivery workers now wear thick elastic and Velcro braces or weightlifting-style belts to support or prevent an aching back.
Some companies mandate the wearing of a weight belt.
In the study, frequent wearing of the belts failed to reduce reports of pain or injury claims. In the mid-1990's, yearly sales of such devices reached approximately 4 million. Data gathered in the study was adjusted for multiple individual risk factors. View a printer-friendly version of this page with minimal images. View a printer-friendly version of this page with no images.