Physical exercise and health education for neck and shoulder complaints among sedentary workers.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of 3 different health promotion exercise programs for work-related shoulder and neck pain.


METHODS
Comparative study design.


METHODS
A total of 178 employees were recruited and grouped.


METHODS
Those in the "Self-exercise group" (n = 56) were given a lecture about the exercise program and then performed the program by themselves during their office break. "Team-exercise group I" (n = 69) performed the program once under the supervision of a physiotherapist after the lecture. "Team-exercise group II" (n = 14) performed the program twice; once under a physiotherapist's supervision. A modified Nordic questionnaire, pain threshold and cervical range of motion were used to evaluate the effect of intervention. There were 39 subjects in the reference group.


RESULTS
When daily change of pain threshold (post-work-pre-work) was treated as an improvement index, the odds ratios for the self-exercise group, team-exercise group I and team-exercise group II were 1.39, 4.63 (p < 0.05) and 7.06 (p < 0.05), respectively, compared with the reference group. A dose-response effect of intervention intensity was demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
An intensive team-exercise program is beneficial in reducing neck and shoulder symptoms in sedentary workers.
Tsauo
Jau-Yih
JY
School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. jytsauo@ntu.edu.tw
Lee
Hsin-Yi
HY
Hsu
Jin-Huei
JH
Chen
Chao-Ying
CY
Chen
Chiou-Jong
CJ
D000328:Adult; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires