From: Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2011;17(2):195-205

Persisting neck pain is common in society. It has been reported that the prevalence of neck pain in office workers is much higher than in the general population. The costs to the worker, employer and society associated with work-related neck pain are known to be considerable and are escalating.

Neck and upper limb symptoms are frequently reported by computer workers. More than 50% of the computer workers report symptoms in neck, shoulders, arms, wrists or fingers. In the year 2002, 28% of the general Dutch working population suffered from pain or stiffness in the neck, shoulder, arms, hands or wrists in the previous 12 months. In Europe the prevalence for work-related neck/shoulder pain was 25% and 15% for work-related arm pain. The total yearly costs of neck and upper limb symptoms in the Netherlands due to decreased productivity, sick leave, chronic disability for work and medical costs were recently estimated at 2.1 billion euros.

The increase in computer and mouse use has been associated with an increased prevalence of disorders in the neck and upper extremities. Poor workstation design, continuous computer use for the entire workday and repetitive computer work, such as data entry, were associated with an increased risk of developing symptoms. It has also been shown that the musculoskeletal disorders associated with computer mouse use are increasing.

A positive relation has been found between various neck disorders and work related risk factors, such as static neck and arm postures, duration of sitting, as well as workplace design. Among other job characteristics, high quantitative job demands, having little influence on one’s work situation, and limited rest break opportunities have been found as predictors of neck pain.

Concerning video display unit work, the evidence of risk factors is based mainly on cross sectional studies. Increasing hours of computer use and incomplete work–rest cycle control, have been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort in the neck and shoulder area and upper extremities, especially when using input devices, such as a keyboard or a mouse. Computer use in sustained non-neutral postures, such as neck rotation and shoulder abduction, have been identified as risk factors for neck and shoulder symptoms. Postural stress caused by poor workstation ergonomics, such as inappropriate location of the screen, keyboard, or mouse, have been associated with musculoskeletal problems. By ergonomic interventions, such as supporting the forearm on the tabletop, a reduction of postural load, discomfort, or neck pain has been achieved. Work organizational factors, such as increasing work pressure or hurry and lack of job security or decision making opportunities, as well as problems in work atmosphere, may contribute to an increased occurrence of work related musculoskeletal complaints.

This study was to determine the prevalence and work-related risk factors of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among video display terminal users. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted; there were 60 video display terminal users and 35 controls. The participants filled in a structured questionnaire, had electrophysiological tests and an X-ray of the neck.

Among individual factors, female gender and older age have been found to be associated with a more frequent report of neck pain. Among health behavioural factors, smoking has been found as a risk factor, whereas the evidence on physical exercise has been inconsistent. A low frequency of exercise has been found preventive in some studies. Among sedentary workers a low physical activity has been a risk factor in some studies, whereas no effect has been found in some other studies. The role of psychosocial and psychological factors, such as stress, tension, depression, and job satisfaction has been frequently observed in the occurrence of various neck disorders.

The prevalence of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders was higher (28.3%) among video display terminals users compared to controls (14.3%) with no statistically significant difference. The prevalence of neck disorders with or without radiculopathy (18.3%) was the most common disorder followed by carpal tunnel syndrome (6.6%). The mean age of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder cases (51 ± 7.2 years) was statistically significantly higher than of the controls (42.8 ± 9). Physical exposure to prolonged static posture, awkward posture and repetitive movements increased risk of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders with a statistically significant difference for static posture only.

Video display terminal users experienced more job dissatisfaction, work-overload and limited social support from supervisors and colleagues. Video display terminal use did not increase the risk of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. The risk increased with older age and static posture.

Prevention of neck disorders in office work with a high frequency of visual display unit tasks, attention should be given to the work environment in general and to the more specific aspects of visual display unit workstation layout. In addition, physical exercise may be preventive of neck disorders among sedentary employees.

Related Source:

Work related and individual predictors for incident neck pain among office employees working with video display units

From: Med Lav. 2009 Jan-Feb;100(1):29-34

Musculoskeletal disorders are a common problem among computer users. Many epidemiological studies have shown that ergonomic factors and aspects of work organization play an important role in the development of these disorders. The authors carried out a cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among university students using personal computers and to investigate the features of occupational exposure and the prevalence of symptoms throughout the study course. Another objective was to assess the students’ level of knowledge of computer ergonomics and the relevant health risks.

A questionnaire was distributed to 183 students attending the lectures for second and fourth year courses of the Faculty of Architecture. Data concerning personal characteristics, ergonomic and organizational aspects of computer use, and the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck and upper limbs were collected. Exposure to risk factors such as daily duration of computer use, time spent at the computer without breaks, duration of mouse use and poor workstation ergonomics was significantly higher among students of the fourth year course.

Neck pain was the most commonly reported symptom (69%), followed by hand/wrist (53%), shoulder (49%) and arm (8%) pain. The prevalence of symptoms in the neck and hand/wrist area was signifcantly higher in the students of the fourth year course. In this survey we found high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among university students using computers for long time periods on a daily basis. Exposure to computer related ergonomic and organizational risk factors, and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms both seem to increase significantly throughout the study course. Furthermore, they found that the level of perception of computer related health risks among the students was low. Our findings suggest the need for preventive intervention consisting of education in computer ergonomics.