Workplace neck and shoulder pain: Do ergonomic equipment, exercise or treatments help?
There is still no clear answer. So far there is some weak evidence that ergonomic keyboards and exercises can minimise pain in the hands, arms, shoulders and necks of people who spend a lot of time at the computer.
About one in three people who work with computers develop pain in the hands, arms, shoulders and/or neck as a result. This collection of problems is mostly called RSI (repetitive strain injury) or occupational overuse syndrome. This group of work-related problems includes chronic neck and shoulder pain, as well as narrowing of the nerves around the heel of the hand, called carpal tunnel syndrome. That causes pain in the hand and forearm.
There are lots of suggestions made about what to do about these problems: upper body exercises, massage or manual therapy by chiropractors or physiotherapists, as well as behaviour training, medicines, injections and operations. Some invest in expensive ergonomic keyboards, chairs and desks.
Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration wanted to find out if this investment is worthwhile. Their key finding was that there is not enough proof to back up the many claims made for preventive strategies and treatments, because they have not been tested enough in trials. Although the researchers found 21 trials involving over 2,100 participants, no individual trial had more than 400 people in it.
This means the conclusions remain tentative: there were no reliable trials of ergonomic armrests, chairs and desks. The researchers found some evidence that people who used ergonomic keyboards were a bit less likely to be in pain. Ergonomic keyboards can have the key section split into two parts, which are sometimes set at an angle to each other.
There were similar findings with exercises: there was some evidence of benefit, but the researchers remained cautious. Taking regular breaks from the keyboard might help too. For manual treatments like chiropractic and massage, no conclusions were possible.
- Created (German version): February 14th 2006 10:00
- Last update: July 31st 2006 16:56
- History: Show list
- Source: Verhagen AP, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Feleus A, Karels C, Dahaghin S, Burdorf L, de Vet HCW, Koes BW. Ergonomic and physiotherapeutic interventions for treating upper extremity work related disorders in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. (Cochrane Database)