The Back Pain Epidemic in the UK
In 2023, 8 million sick days were taken across the UK for back pain. Medical experts have attributed this to changing working patterns, an ageing workforce, NHS backlogs and ineffective traditional treatments. Could motorised exoskeletons be the answer to reducing occupational back pain?
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Challenges in Finding Effective Back Pain Treatments
Finding a treatment for chronic back pain can take years of trial and error. Standard treatments — typically massages, physiotherapy and yoga — can reduce back pain, but not in all cases, and can also be hard to access with NHS backlogs and time-financial barriers. More radical treatments, such as Ketamine Infusion Therapy, are being actively researched. However, due to risk, it’s unlikely that these treatments will ever become mainstream.
Can Motorised Exoskeletons Solve Back Pain Issues?
With standard treatments offering varied relief and alternative treatments too risky, could motorized exoskeletons provide a viable and efficient treatment for Britain’s back pain problem?
Motorised Exoskeletons: A New Frontier for Pain Relief
Motorised exoskeletons are wearable augmentative technologies that use a motor, lead screw and a spring to provide musculoskeletal support. The wearer activates the motor when they move, turning the screw and transferring power to the spring. This removes pressure from the user’s spine, relieving back pain and supporting with heavy lifting tasks.
The Benefits of Motorised Exoskeletons
Unlike traditional solutions, motorised exoskeletons provide relief while the wearer works and can prevent pain from developing. The 2019 EU-based project, SPEXOR, found that motorised exoskeletons could be used as a long-term solution, strengthening the wearer’s muscles and predicting potential physiological issues. SPEXOR further found that introducing motorised exoskeletons to the workplace could save Europe 4 billion euros annually.
Addressing Motorised Exoskeleton Design Challenges
However, industry questions surrounding motorised exoskeletons’ practicality remain. The 2022 EXSKALLERATE project, aimed to increase the adoption of motorised exoskeletons by the manufacturing and building industry in the North Sea Region, noted that they needed design improvement. Motorised exoskeletons’ unreliability, rigidity, heaviness, and noise have limited their widespread use. But choosing the correct motor could eliminate these issues.
Micromotors: Enhancing Motorised Exoskeleton Performance
Brushed DC motors are often seen in motorised exoskeletons due to their simple drive design, lower cost compared to their brushless counterpart, and ease of control. However, care needs to be taken when selecting a brushed motor to ensure the commutation system, which will wear over the life of the motor, can deliver the longevity expected from the product.
FAULHABER Motors: The Ideal Solution for Exoskeletons
EMS is the sole UK and Ireland supplier of leading miniature and micro drive manufacturer, FAULHABER, who advances small, brushed DC motor technology with precious metal commutation. FAULHABER SR series motors employ this type of commutation due to its compact size, precise commutation signalling, and extremely low contact resistance, reducing wear-and-tear and enhancing reliability. Other benefits include no cogging torque, creating smooth, accurate movement and speed control, higher overall efficiency, and quietness, allowing for the desired naturalness, freedom, and safety while the wearer works.
Case Study: JAPET Exoskeleton Success in France
This makes these motors ideal for exoskeletons. In fact, FAULHABER has found exoskeleton success in France with JAPET, who use four FAULHABER Series 1524 SR precious metal commutation DC-micromotors in its Japet.W model. Each motor weighs 18 grams and is strong enough to take the weight of three to four medium-sized cars throughout the working day. The Japet.W is actively used in France’s transport, construction, and medical sectors, observing a 75 per cent pain reduction in wearers.
Motorised Exoskeletons: The Future of Pain Management
Motorised exoskeletons offer a promising solution to alleviate and prevent occupational back pain. With developing micromotor technology, the future of pain management could rest on the shoulders of forward-thinking, wearable support systems. With an ageing workforce, NHS backlogs, ineffective treatments, and working patterns not set to change for the foreseeable future, motorised exoskeletons might just be the backup Britain needs.
