Development, validation, and testing of an agriculture support exoskeleton in adjunct to conventional physiotherapy for farm labourers with chronic low back pain: A two-phase, mixed-methods, quasi-experimental pilot study protocol.
Background Low back pain (LBP) affects 619 million people globally, with projections reaching 843 million by 2050. Farm labourers exhibit markedly higher prevalence than the general population, with lifetime (70–85%), 12-month (15–45%), and point (approximately 30%) prevalences driven by sustained trunk flexion, repetitive manual handling, and limited access to ergonomic or rehabilitative interventions. While conventional physiotherapy is the cornerstone of chronic LBP (CLBP) management, its ef...