title: Risk factors in the onset of neck/shoulder pain in a prospective study of workers in industrial and service companies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the relative contribution of work related physical factors, psychosocial workplace factors, and individual factors and aspects of somatisation to the onset of neck/shoulder pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four year prospective cohort study of workers from industrial and service companies in Denmark. Participants were 3123 workers, previously enrolled in a cross sectional study, where objective measurement of physical workplace factors was used. Eligible participants were followed on three subsequent occasions with approximately one year intervals. Outcomes of interest were: new onset of neck/shoulder pain (symptom cases); and neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness in the muscles of the neck/shoulder region (clinical cases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During follow up, 636 (14.1%) participants reported neck/shoulder pain of new onset; among these, 82 (1.7%) also had clinical signs of substantial muscle tenderness. High shoulder repetition was related to being a future symptom case, and a future clinical case. Repetition was strongly intercorrelated with other physical measures. High job demands were associated with future status as a symptom case, and as a clinical case. A high level of distress predicted subsequent neck/shoulder pain, and neck/shoulder pain with pressure tenderness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High levels of distress, and physical and psychosocial workplace factors are predictors of onset of pain in the neck and/or shoulders, particularly pain with pressure tenderness in the muscles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine, Herning Hospital, Gl. Landevej 61, DK-7400 Herning, Denmark. hecjha@ringamt.dk
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaergaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: U F
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bonde
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fallentin
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Thomsen
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires