Assessment of methods to reduce lower back, neck and shoulder pain discomfort scores and their range of motion among office workers
Background: Musculoskeletal discomforts (MSD), especially in the neck, lower back and shoulder areas, are some of the most common issues among office workers. The actual number of cases of musculoskeletal injuries/pain among Malaysian office workers is suspected to be much higher than the 10,000...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/66889/1/FPSK%28p%29%202016%2026%20IR.pdf |
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| Summary: | Background: Musculoskeletal discomforts (MSD), especially in the neck, lower back
and shoulder areas, are some of the most common issues among office workers. The
actual number of cases of musculoskeletal injuries/pain among Malaysian office
workers is suspected to be much higher than the 10,000 cases claimed by SOCSO.
MSD can lead to uncomfortable working conditions and subsequently lead to
absenteeism as well as an increasing need to obtain medical certificates (MCs) among
office workers during working hours. This is because of the physical pain/injuries
caused by MSD, and these have a negative effect on the productivity and financial
efficiency of companies/employers. A practical and cost-efficient treatment, without
side effects, can be a helpful way to improve the productivity and financial efficiency
of companies by reducing MSD-induced staff absenteeism.
Objectives: The three primary aims of this research were to: 1. Measure the incidence
of MSD in a sample of office workers; 2. Test effective methods of reducing lower
back, neck and shoulder pain in this sample by training exercise, or ergonomics
modification, or both of them; and 3. Assess discomfort scores and the range of motion
of the lower back, neck and shoulder muscles among the office workers after
undertaking the different methods for a period of 6 months.
Methods: In a true experimental design, from 10,000 office workers of a selected
company in Malaysia, 142 office workers (of whom 50 were male), aged between 20-
50 years, who had MSD with medium/ high severity of pain and had volunteered to
participate in this study, were allocated randomly, from 3 different locations (Bangsar,
Puchong, and Damansara), to one of three intervention groups (receiving training
exercise, receiving modified ergonomics, receiving a combination of exercise and ergonomics modification) and a control group (receiving none of these interventions).
The Cornell MSD Questionnaire was used to measure musculoskeletal discomforts,
with focus on pain severity, before treatment and after 2, 4 and 6 months of the
interventions. The range of motion (ROM) of the hip, neck, shoulder and knee were
measured by a 30cm goniometer, and the Borg CR10 scale was used to measure the
perceived exertion of training exercises. The rapid office strain assessment (ROSA)
questionnaire was used to assess the strain associated with office work. Height and
weight were also measured to calculate the body mass index (BMI).
Results: MSD was common and it was most frequent in the regions of the shoulder,
neck, and lower back with high level in severity of pain. The mean value for ROM
(pre- to post-intervention changes) in the hips and knees in the exercise (right hip:
from 71±12 degree to 87±5 degree, left hip: from 71±11degree to 88 ±3 degree; right
knee: from 153±20 degree to 169±15 degree, left knee: from 150±20 degree to
164±18 degree (mean±SD)) and exercise + ergonomics modification groups (right
hip: from 71±11degree to 86±5 degree, left hip: from 72±10 degree to 85± 6 degree;
right knee: from 153±19 degree to 172±11 degree, left knee: from 151±2 degree to
169±13 degree (mean±SD)), but the ROM of the neck and shoulder were improved
also in the ergonomics group significantly ((p<0.05). MSD mean value scores related
to neck, shoulder and lower back decreased significantly (p<0.05) in all three
intervention groups. ROSA mean value scores decreased significantly (p<0.05) only
in the ergonomics modification and exercise + ergonomics modification groups. The
Borg scale results showed acceptable levels of perceived exertion related to the
exercise package.
Conclusion: 6 months of training exercise is able to increase the range of motion and
it can be helpful in decreasing the prevalence of MSD. Ergonomic modifications are
another way to decrease MSD rates by correcting the postures of office workers. A
mixture of training exercise and ergonomic modifications can be more effective in
lowering MSD rates, as it can also improve the ROM and working posture. |
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