Are men and women equally at risk for developing low back pain?
Generally speaking, yes. Heavy physical work or very sedentary work contributes to low back pain in both sexes. Studies have shown that some risk factors are different for men and women. For men, doing heavy activities outside of work, and a job with poor social relations and lots of overtime are connected with a higher risk for low back pain. For women, smoking and work that involves whole-body vibrations and gives little influence over work conditions create a high risk of low back pain.