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Evaluation of two preventive interventions for reducing musculoskeletal complaints in operators of video display
Paolo Pillastrini1, Raffaele Mugnai, Chiara Farneti
1Department of Neurological Sciences, School of Physiotherapy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. paolo.pillastrini@unibo.it
Background And Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a preventive ergonomic intervention, which was provided by physical therapists, on spinal and upper-extremity work-related posture and symptom complaints of workers who use video display terminals (VDT).
Subjects:
Two hundred employees who spent at least 20 hours per week at a VDT were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group E received the ergonomic intervention and an informative brochure, and group I received only the brochure.
Methods:
Both groups were evaluated at the beginning of the study and at a follow-up 5 months later. The following tools were used: a pain drawing and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method to assess spinal and upper-extremity work-related posture.
Results:
Group E had a lower REBA score and reduced lower back, neck, and shoulder symptoms compared with group I.
Discussion And Conclusion:
The results suggest that a personalized preventive ergonomic intervention can improve spinal and upper-extremity work-related posture and musculoskeletal symptoms for workers who use VDTs.