Evaluating a wearable biofeedback device for reducing end-range sagittal lumbar spine flexion among home caregivers

Caregivers who work in the home environment are at risk of back injury due to the awkward postures they have to adopt while providing care. Real-time biofeedback provided by a recently developed wearable device (PostureCoach) may be able to reduce this risk. The effectiveness of a two-day training intervention (including PostureCoach and an educational video) was evaluated for its ability to decrease the amount of time spent in endrange spine flexion. Twenty novice caregivers repeated a series of simulated care tasks. Real-time auditory biofeedback was provided to the intervention group (n = 10) when participants' sagittal lumbar spine flexion exceeded a preset threshold during training trials. Participants in the control group (n = 10) received no feedback. Participants repeated the tasks again two weeks and two months post-intervention. The intervention group maintained decreased end-range (80th and 95th percentile) spine flexion compared to controls at both postintervention time points.

Automated summary

A two-day training intervention utilizing real-time biofeedback was effective in reducing the amount of time spent in end-range spine flexion for novice caregivers, thereby decreasing the risk of back injury. The intervention group maintained decreased spine flexion compared to the control group at both postintervention time points, suggesting the potential long-term benefits of using PostureCoach for caregiver training.