A survey of physical and occupational therapists’ views on lumbar loading movements

[Purpose] To identify the lumbar loading movements necessary in clinical practice. [Participants and Methods] A questionnaire survey was conducted among physical and occupational therapists in Japan. There were no exclusion criteria regarding the number of years of experience, age, or field of employment. The participants were randomly selected and administered the questionnaire. They were asked to list and rank the lumbar loadings they considered necessary. [Results] A total of 739 respondents participated in the survey. The results of this nationwide survey indicated that the lifting movement of heavy objects in the trunk flexion position was the most common movement (for 354 participants). [Conclusion] The main loading movements of the lumbar spine were reported to be heavy lifting movements (in the trunk flexion position) and trunk rotation movements. As perspectives, we aim to conduct an analytical study of some of lumbar spine loading movements outlined in this study, using a musculoskeletal simulator and electromyography.