Feasibility of a Smartphone-Based Exercise Program for Office Workers With Neck Pain: An Individualized Approach...

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Occupational health

Background:

• Neck pain is prevalent among office workers, impacting their quality of life.
• Current interventions may not fully address the diverse needs of individuals with neck pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel smartphone-based exercise program for office workers with neck pain.
• To evaluate the program's impact on pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, fear avoidance, and cervical range of motion (ROM).

Main Methods:

• A single-group, repeated-measures design was employed.
• Twenty-three office workers with neck pain used a smartphone application for self-classification and a tailored 8-week exercise program.
• Outcome measures included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), SF-36, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and cervical ROM.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in pain intensity (VAS) and functional disability (NDI).
• Quality of life improved in several domains of the SF-36, including physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, and vitality.
• No significant improvements were found in fear avoidance (FABQ) or cervical ROM.

Conclusions:

• The smartphone-based exercise program shows promise in alleviating pain and enhancing physical health for office workers with neck pain.
• The intervention's effect on mental health and cervical range of motion requires further investigation.