School of Bio-Medical Sciences (Bio-Medical) Collection

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https://dissertations.mak.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12281/6617

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Browsing School of Bio-Medical Sciences (Bio-Medical) Collection by Subject "A revised step machine"
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    A systematic solution to low back pain: Design of a revised step machine to provide hamspring exercises to reduce acute low back pain.
    (Makerere University, 2022-09-09) Nambalirwa, Aidah ; Oloya, James ; Kazibwe, Abudallah
    On 26th/October/2020, we started our design journey. On this same day, we went to two hospitals i.e. Lubaga hospital, and Kawempe National Referral hospital where we did our needs finding and assessed their needs basing on their feedback. Through all these activities, we came up with a problem of low back pain among nurses. We carried out a series of research and later changed our problem from low back pain among nurses to low back pain. This is a musculoskeletal disorder condition that is associated with the lumbar region of the back. Strains occur when a muscle is overworked or weak, and ligament sprain. Ligaments connect the spinal vertebrae and provide stability for the low back. They can be injured by a sudden, forceful movement or prolonged stress. The lifetime prevalence of low back pain is reported to be as high as 84%, and the prevalence of chronic low back pain is about 23%, with 11–12% of the population being disabled by low back pain. Unless there is physical damage on any part of the lumbar region, the revised step machine provides an exercise to the entire body which repeatedly creates a reasonable (non-destructing) stress and strain on the lumbar vertebra. It’s this stress and strain that gradually relieves the vertebrae of the compression force thus vertebrae and the nerves regain their normal anatomical position. Nerve destruction is removed and so is the low back pain. This report is structured in five sections, with section one expounding on the activities we carried out in both design one and two which include needs finding, needs selection, concept generation and concept selection. Section Two comprises how we came up with the solution basing on user preferences that we found out through research methods like interviews, surveys, observations and so on from areas where the problem selected affects more people. It also points and explains user preferences both on user and other stakeholders-basis. Additionally, it also relates the preferences to corresponding engineering specifications. Section three elaborates on material selection, engineering analysis, and device description. Section four elaborates on the different test protocols performed on the ReSM device. Section five explains the redesigning process of ReSM