Workplace interventions for neck pain in workers.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders, particularly neck pain, are a leading cause of disability and absenteeism in industrial nations.
• Neck pain prevalence is higher than previously recognized, impacting a significant portion of the workforce.
• Chronic pain significantly contributes to workers' lost productivity and time off work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of workplace interventions (WIs) for managing neck pain in adult workers.
• To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on WIs for neck pain.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, etc.) up to July 2009.
• Included studies were RCTs with at least 50% of participants experiencing neck pain at baseline and receiving workplace-based interventions.
• Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently; heterogeneity led to a meta-analysis of only two studies.

Main Results:

• Ten RCTs involving 2745 workers were included; most focused on office workers, with few participants on sick leave.
• Overall, low-quality evidence indicated no significant difference between WIs and no intervention for neck pain prevalence or severity.
• Moderate-quality evidence from one study suggested a four-component WI reduced intermediate-term sick leave, but this effect did not persist in the short or long term.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence is of low quality, neither supporting nor refuting the benefits of specific WIs for neck pain relief.
• Moderate-quality evidence suggests a multi-component intervention may reduce intermediate-term sickness absence, though not sustained.
• There is a critical need for high-quality RCTs with well-designed WIs to improve understanding and confidence in treatment effects.