Chronic Neck Pain Disorder and Posture in computer office worker

Abstract

Complaints of arm, neck and shoulder (CANS) have multifactorial etiology and in this way it's recommended that the risk factors at work environment must consider ergonomic and psycho-social aspects. Amongst the CANS reported by computer office workers (COW) neck pain is the most commonly verified and can be associated to body posture changes and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). The aim of this proposal is to verify associations between Cervical and Temporomandibular Disorders and body posture changes in COW with and without neck pain, as well as, correlate possible associations between such disorders and ergonomic and psychosocial factors related to work condition. Employees (age range of 20 to 40 years) from the University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto) will be recruited to participate in this study. In the first stage of this study it will be carried a trans-cultural adaptation and face validation of a tool designed to the assessment of ergonomic and psycho-social risk factors at work environment - The Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ). In the second stage, the workers (n=100) will be invited to answer to the MUEQ and Neck Disability Index (NDI) as well as a brief clinical characterization questionnaire. In the third stage, 66 workers will be randomly chosen and will be divided into 2 groups. One of the groups composed by COW without report o neck pain (n=33) and a group with positive report of chronic neck pain (n=33) whose volunteers must contemplate the following criteria: neck pain complaint for at least 3 months, b) functional limitation, at least mild in the NDI and c) pain intensity at least 3 in the majority of the days with pain in a numerical pain scale (0 to 10). In the third stage, clinical assessment must be conducted to assess TMD, static body posture and pressure pain thresholds of neck and masticatory sites. This work will contribute to verify associations among craniocervical disorders and body posture changes, as well as, the relationship between such disorders and psychosocial and ergonomic factors in the work picture. The association between such factors could contribute to improve the intervention approach commonly in worker health. (AU)