A study on Activation of Neck and Low-Back Muscles Is Reduced with the Use of a Neck Balance System Together with a Lumbar Support in Urban Drivers was conducted by Menotti, F., Labanca, L., Laudani, L., Giombini, A., Pigozzi, F., & Macaluso, A. PloS one, 10(10), e0141031.(2015)The aim of this study was to investigate the use of a neck balance system together with a lumbar support on the activation of low back and neck muscles during driving.
Fig : Neck and Lumbar support while driving
Twelve healthy male subjects (age 32±6.71 years) were asked to drive in
two conditions: 1) with devices; 2) without devices. During vehicle
accelerations and decelerations root mean square (RMS) of surface
electromyography (sEMG) was recorded from the erector spinae, semispinalis
capitis and sternocleidomastoid muscles and expressed as a percentage of
maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).
The pitch of the head was obtained by
means of an inertial sensor placed on the subjects’ head. A visual analog scale
(VAS) was used to assess the level of perceived comfort.RMS of the low back
muscles was lower with than without devices during both acceleration and
deceleration of the vehicle (1.40±0.93% vs 29 2.32±1.90% and 1.88±1.45% vs
2.91±2.33%, respectively), while RMS of neck extensor muscles was reduced only
during acceleration (5.18±1.96%vs 5.91±2.16%).
There were no differences
between the two conditions in RMS of neck flexor muscles, the pitch of the head
and the VAS score.
The use of these two ergonomic devices is therefore
effective in reducing the activation of low-back and neck muscles during
driving with no changes in the level of perceived comfort, which is likely due to
rebalancing weight on the neck and giving a neutral position to lumbar
segments.
A study on Effects of exercise on pain of musculoskeletal disorders was conducted by Rodrigues, E. V., Gomes, A. R. S., Tanhoffer, A. I. P., & Leite, N. Acta ortopedica brasileira, 22(6), 334-338. (2014)
The aim of this
study was to verify the effectiveness of workplace exercises to control
musculoskeletal pain and its frequency, intensity, duration and type of
exercises used. Randomized control trials which performed worksite exercises
were selected and the studies were assessed by their methodological soundness.
Ten articles were selected which investigated the resistance training, cardio
respiratory exercises, Pilates, stretching, postural orientation and exercises
for relaxation. Workplace resistance training performed at 70-85% RM.The
primary outcome found in this systematic review on the effects of regular and
targeted exercise conducted in the workplace, was the improvement of pain in
shoulders, wrists and spine.
Of the ten
studies analyzed in this review, all showed significant improvements in
reducing pain in the trapezius muscle in shoulders, wrists, cervical, dorsal
and lumbar spine.
Strength exercises with intensity of 70-85% of RM performed
in the workplace, three times a week for 20 minutes are able to reduce
musculoskeletal pain in shoulders, wrists, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
Despite the variations found in the protocols used in each study training, pain
improvement was observed in all training intensities investigated.
Non-specific
exercises for the pain location as stationary bike, plyometric paddling devices
and kaiake, Pilates and relaxation
exercises, as well as stretching exercises also promoted decrease of
pain.
A study on the effects of self stretching on pain and musculoskeletal symptom of bus drivers by Lee, J. H., & Gak, H. B. (2014). Journal of physical therapy science, 26(12), 1911-1914.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the musculoskeletal symptoms, pain
and risk of postures as well as the effects of stretching exercise on the
work-related symptoms and pain of bus drivers.
Eighty-one drivers were randomly
recruited from a bus corporation for this study. Information about pain levels,
painful regions, and general characteristics of subjects was obtained using the
symptom research form (KOSHA Code H-30-2003).
The level of pain was assessed on
a scale of numeric rating scale (NRS) which is divided by 10. Ergonomic posture
assessment was conducted using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA).
Self-stretching exercise was performed for 4 weeks by the bus drivers who
suffered from neck and shoulder pain. Self-stretching exercise was performed in
two ways. In one exercise the levator scapulae, upper trapezius muscle and
sternocleidomastoid muscle were stretched), and in the other the subjects
performed a self-stretching exercise described by Kim and Lee consisting of
seven movements.
Fig : Levator scapulae stretch
Each stretching movement was performed three times per set,
three times a week for four weeks, and the subjects were instructed to maintain
maximum stretch for more than 25 seconds and then relax in order to obtain the
benefits of stretching.
Musculoskeletal symptoms were present in the order of shoulder, neck,
lower back and lower extremities. Compared with other jobs, the final score,
and the action level of bus drivers were very high, showing 57.6% of action
levels 3 and 4.
A statistically significant decrease of pain was shown after
the self-stretching intervention. There was also a significant decrease of musculoskeletal
symptoms in the neck and shoulders after the selfstretching exercise.
The
effects of stretching on musculoskeletal pain has reported that the pain score
decreased from 5.52 before the intervention to 4.80 after stretching was
performed for 4 weeks. In addition, Kim study on the effect of stretching on
VDT workers’ upper extremity pain also reported a decrease in upper limb pain
after the performance of stretching.
Neck and shoulder musculoskeletal
subjective symptoms and pain were decreased by 4 weeks of stretching in this
study. Post-intervention, there was a statistically significant decrease of 25%
in subjective symptoms in the neck, and of 28% in the shoulder.
The pain level
of the most painful part of the neck and shoulders also significantly decreased.
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