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Hundreds of thousands of nursery and landscape workers in Florida knuckle through low back pain daily, putting them at risk for chronic discomfort, injuries and job loss. But an ongoing study on self-managed back pain in the horticulture and landscape industry finds that simple techniques could help improve their overall quality of life.

"They (landscape workers) often regard pain as part of the job and put up with it to continue working to feed their families and maintain their livelihood," said Kim Dunleavy, Ph.D., a clinical professor and director of community engagement in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy, who leads the project.

Three years into the four-year UF study, researchers have produced interventions—such as training videos with exercise regimens—that show promising results.

Low back pain in workers has tangible effects on employers, too. The nursery and landscape industry is a cornerstone of Florida's economy, employing more than 279,000 people and producing $41.9 billion in total economic impact in 2023—the most recent year for which data were available from the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, or FNGLA.

In an industry with existing workforce shortages, supervisors are concerned about losing experienced employees and dealing with lower productivity and absenteeism. To combat this, the UF research team worked with the FNGLA to recruit 16 nursery and landscaping companies from Palm Beach to Jacksonville, enrolling 127 workers and 21 supervisors in the study.

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