Society of Interventional Radiology: Occupational Back and Neck Pain and the Interventional Radiologist.

INTRODUCTION Interventional radiology is a unique specialty that involves vascular and nonvascular procedures involving virtually every patient population. Currently, most interventional radiologists perform several procedures per day, some lasting hours, and also typically provide on-call coverage for hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The physical demands are distinctly different from those of diagnostic radiology, as interventional radiology requires standing while wearing heavy personal protective garments, performing technically complex procedures, moving equipment, and changing positions to accomplish the task at hand. An interventionalist who has spent a career providing procedural care for patients and is affected by occupational musculoskeletal problems ought to be able to refer to a corresponding topic-specific societal document. As no such official Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) document exists, it is hoped that this document will fill that void. Standing occupations are associated with higher levels of low back pain (LBP) compared with sitting occupations (1). In addition, the use of ionizing radiation requires personal protection, typically in the form of heavy protective garments. This, combined with standing for most of the day and performing procedures with repetitive motions in awkward positions, has been associated with occupational neck and back pain (2). Whereas the hazards of radiation and bloodborne pathogen exposure are well established (3–5), the musculoskeletal