Forearm Supports Reduce Upper Body Pain Linked To Computer Use

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Forearm Supports Reduce Upper Body Pain Linked To Computer Use

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=41882

Providing forearm support is an effective intervention to prevent

musculoskeletal disorders of the upper body and aids in reducing

upper body pain associated with computer work, according to a study

in The British Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Reported in the April issue, the study shows that use of large arm

boards significantly reduces neck and shoulder pain as well as hand,

wrist and forearm pain. " Based on these outcomes, employers should

consider providing employees who use computers with appropriate

forearm support, " said lead author Rempel, MD, MPH, director of

the ergonomics program at San Francisco General Hospital and

professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Study findings also show arm boards and ergonomics training provide

the most protective effect, with a statistically significant

reduction in both neck and shoulder pain and right hand/wrist/forearm

pain in comparison to the control group, who did not receive forearm

support. The boards reduced the risk of incidence of neck and

shoulder disorders by nearly half.

According to the authors, musculoskeletal disorders of the neck,

shoulders and arms are a common occupational health problem for

individuals involved in computer-based customer service work.

Specific disorders include wrist tendonitis, elbow tendonitis and

muscle strain of the neck and upper back. These health problems

account for a majority of lost work time in call centers and other

computer-based jobs. " Extended hours of mouse or keyboard use and

sustained awkward postures, such as wrist extension, are the most

consistently observed risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders, "

Rempel added.

The one year, randomized study evaluated the effects of two

workstation interventions on the musculoskeletal health of call

center employees -- a padded forearm support and a trackball. The

forearm support is commonly called an arm board and attaches to the

top front edge of the work surface. The trackball replaces a computer

mouse and uses a large ball for cursor motion.

The researchers tested employees from two customer service center

sites of a large health maintenance organization. Employees had to

perform computer based customer service work for a minimum of 20

hours per week in order to qualify for the study. For one year, 182

participants filled out a weekly questionnaire to assess pain level

in their hands, wrists, arms, upper backs and shoulders.

Participants were randomized into four groups, each receiving a

different intervention: ergonomics training, training plus a

trackball, training plus forearm support, or training with both a

trackball and forearm support. Outcome measures included weekly pain

severity scores and diagnosis of a new musculoskeletal disorder in

the upper extremities or the neck-shoulder region based on physical

examination performed by a physician.

The trackball intervention had no effect on right upper extremity

disorders. " The trackball was difficult for some participants to

use, " said Rempel. " Employees with hand pain may want to try them,

but they should stop if it is difficult to use. "

The researchers also performed a return-on-investment calculation for

the study to estimate the effects of ergonomic interventions on

productivity and costs. Their calculations predicted a full return of

armboard costs for employers within 10.6 months of purchase.

" Based on this study, it is in the best interest of the company and

the employees to provide forearm supports and training, " Rempel

concluded.

In the study, the authors also outline other ergonomic-specific tasks

that employees who use computers can do to relieve pain on their own.

They suggest employees take scheduled breaks, maintain an erect

posture, adjust chair height so thighs are parallel to the floor,

adjust arm support and work surface height so the forearms are

parallel to the floor, adjust the mouse and keyboard location to

minimize the reach, and adjust monitor height so that the center of

the monitor is approximately 15 degrees below the visual horizon.

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Co-authors of the study include Niklas Krause, MD, PhD;

Goldberg, MD; Mark Hudes, PhD; and Urbiel Goldner, MS, from the

division of occupational and environmental medicine, UCSF; and

Benner, MD, occupational health, Kaiser Permanente of

Northern California.

The study was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease

Control/National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health.

Rempel has done consulting work for Logitech Corporation, which

markets the trackball used in this study.

UCSF is a leading university that consistently defines health care

worldwide by conducting advanced biomedical research, educating

graduate students in the life sciences, and providing complex patient

care.