Aim: To assess the incidence and risk factors for neck and shoulder pain in nurses. Methods: A longitudinal study of neck and shoulder pain was carried out in female nurses at two hospitals in England. Personal and occupational risk factors were assessed at baseline. The self reported incidence of symptoms in the neck and shoulder region was ascertained at three-monthly intervals over two years. A Cox regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for incident neck/shoulder pain during follow up in nurses who had been pain free for at least one month at baseline. Results: The baseline response rate was 56%. Of 903 women who were pain free at baseline, 587 (65%) completed at least one follow up while still in the same job. During an average of 13 months, 34% of these (202 women) reported at least one episode of neck/shoulder pain. The strongest predictor of pain in the neck/shoulder was previous history of the symptom (HRs up to 3.3). For physical exposures at work, the highest risks (HRs up to 1.7) were associated with specific patient handling tasks that involved reaching, pushing, and pulling. Nurses who reported low mood or stress at baseline were more likely to develop neck/shoulder pain later (HR 1.5). Workplace psychosocial factors (including job demands, satisfaction, and control) were not associated with incident neck/shoulder symptoms. Conclusions: Neck/shoulder pain is common among hospital nurses, and patient handling tasks that involve reaching and pulling are the most important target for risk reduction strategies.H ospital nurses have a high prevalence of low back pain, 1-4 and the risk of low back disorders from physical activities in patient care has been the focus of extensive research. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] In comparison, relatively few studies have explored the influence of patient handling on neck and shoulder pain, 8-10 12-14 and most of these have been cross sectional in design. 9 10 12-14As part of a prospective investigation to assess the impact of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal symptoms, we collected longitudinal data on the occurrence of neck and shoulder pain in a cohort of nurses. We here present an analysis of the risk of incident neck/shoulder pain in relation to personal and occupational risk factors ascertained at baseline. METHODSThe study was carried out at two similar acute hospitals in the south of England, both of which provided in-patient care across a range of clinical specialties other than mental health. From personnel records, we identified all nurses employed by these hospitals, excluding agency staff, student nurses, and those who worked in community roles. Each nurse was sent a baseline postal questionnaire, followed if necessary by a reminder after six weeks. Among other things, the questionnaire asked about the following: age; sex; height; weight; details of current occupation; frequency of exposure to various common nursing activities (with and without assistance from colleagues or mechanical aids); perceived psychosocial...

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The majority of consistent findings support the inclusion of eccentric exercise as part of a multimodal therapy programme for improved outcomes in patients with lateral epicondylitis.

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This study investigated risk factors associated with back pain in 245 New Zealand intermediate school children aged 11-14 years in a cross-sectional survey, using a self-completion questionnaire for demographic details, pain prevalence, psychosocial parameters, school and leisure activities and family characteristics. The strongest relationships were between back pain and common childhood complaints (stomach ache, headache and sore throats) (p < 0.01) and psychosocial factors (conduct and hyperactivity) (p < 0.01). For physical factors, there was a significant relationship between neck and low back pain and attributes of chairs. Low back pain was significantly related to low desk height (as reported by students) (p < 0.05). School bag weight was not significantly related to low back pain but carrying the bag on one shoulder was (p < 0.05). It is concluded that, amongst these intermediate school children, psychological, social and emotional factors had a stronger relationship with back pain than physical factors. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study investigated risk factors associated with back pain amongst New Zealand intermediate school children. It showed that psychological, social and emotional factors may have a stronger relationship with back pain than physical factors.