Pain Prevention for Interventional Radiologists

I read with interest Dr. Pelz's letter in a recent issue of the AJNR (1) regarding the prevention of neck and low back pain in interventional radiologists. The physical stresses Dr. Pelz alludes to are very real. I have been able to participate in many sports with negligible low back and neck pain, but have nearly always been symptomatic with back pain and radiculopathy when performing interventional procedures with a lead apron on. I now limit myself to short procedures because of this problem.

I want to call attention to another simple, yet effective, method of decreasing the stress on the low back when performing procedures with a lead apron on. Placing one foot on a short, comfortably elevated stool under the fluoroscopy table puts the low back in a more comfortable straight posture, and relieves stresses on the intervertebral disks and paraspinal soft tissues. For many years I was able to maintain a moderately busy interventional schedule that would have been impossible without my stool. Dr. Pelz's “Hang 'em High” solution seems to be better and more definitive, but I want to share my simple, cheap solution.