Effective Methods of Reducing Lower Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain 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 Social Security Organization (SOCSO) in Malaysia caps number of cases involving musculoskeletal injuries at a maximum of 10,000 per year.

Objectives: The primary aims of this research were to: 1. Measure the prevalence 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 staff in Telecom Malaysia,onehundred and forty two office workers (of whom 50 were male), aged 20-50 y, were allocated randomly, from 3 different locations (Bangsar, Puchung, 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 12 inch 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).