A Systematic Review of Workplace Interventions to Rehabilitate Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Employees with Physical Demanding Work

Abstract

Purpose This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of workplace interventions to rehabilitate musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among employees with physically demanding work. Methods A systematic search was conducted in bibliographic databases including PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection for English articles published from 1998 to 2018. The PICO strategy guided the assessment of study relevance and the bibliographical search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs in which (1) participants were adult workers with physically demanding work and MSD (including specific and non-specific MSD and musculoskeletal pain, symptoms, and discomfort), (2) interventions were initiated and/ or carried out at the workplace, (3) a comparison group was included, and (4) a measure of MSD was reported (including musculoskeletal pain, symptoms, prevalence or discomfort). The quality assessment and evidence synthesis adhered to the guidelines developed by the Institute for Work & Health (Toronto, Canada) focusing on developing practical recommendations for stakeholders. Relevant stakeholders were engaged in the review process. Results Level of evidence from 54 high and medium quality studies showed moderate evidence of a positive effect of physical exercise. Within this domain, there was strong evidence of a positive effect of workplace strength training. There was limited evidence for ergonomics and strong evidence for no benefit of participatory ergonomics, multifaceted interventions, and stress management. No intervention domains were associated with "negative effects". Conclusions The evidence synthesis recommends that implementing strength training at the workplace can reduce MSD among workers with physically demanding work. In regard to workplace ergonomics, there was not enough evidence from the scientific literature to guide current practices. Based on the scientific literature, participatory ergonomics and multifaceted workplace interventions seem to have no beneficial effect on reducing MSD among this group of workers. As these interventional domains were very heterogeneous, it should also be recognized that general conclusions about their effectiveness should be done with care. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018116752(https ://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prosp ero/displ ay_recor d.php?Recor dID=11675 2).

A workplace stretching program for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in perioperative staff: A mixed methods implementation study

“…The qualitative feedback from this study provides some valuable insight into workplace stretching programs. Participants in this study reported positive effects on physical health as previously reported in the literature 5,10 but they also described unanticipated benefits of the program on their psychological wellbeing and the overall workplace culture. These findings suggest that the mechanism of action of workplace stretching programs may be more complicated than first thought.…”

“…Benefits of stretching include improved flexibility, range of motion, circulation, posture and stress relief 4 . Workplace stretching has been shown to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort and injury in office workers, factory workers and firefighters 5 . There has been recent evidence of the benefit of workplace stretching programs for surgeons [6][7][8] but not for other perioperative staff.…”

Effect of an Ergonomics Educational Program on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Staff Working in the Operating Room: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…A study on nurses working in general wards showed a reduction in musculoskeletal pain in the areas of the neck, shoulder and knee after the implementation of an ergonomic educational intervention [ 17 ]. However, some studies have reported no significant benefit or the limited success of ergonomics interventions on MSDs [ 18 , 19 ], which can be attributed to variations in their educational interventions, samples and settings, data collection tools, and the research structure. Therefore, more studies should be carried out to develop conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of ergonomics educational interventions in the reduction of MSDs among clinical nurses.…”

Interventions to facilitate return to work in adults with chronic non-malignant pain: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

“…12 13 Therefore, clinical practice guidelines have focused on the importance of returning to normal activities as the most optimal strategy of recovery from chronic pain conditions. 14 Emerging evidence also stresses the importance of return to work (RTW) as one of the main goals of treatment, [15][16][17][18][19] since RTW can be regarded as an indicator of better health status and recovery. 20 Hence, RTW is a core outcome, not only for society but also for chronic pain sufferers themselves.…”

“…As indicated above, the loss of productivity due to CNMP is enormous, 5 6 and thus it is essential to implement cost-effective interventions to facilitate RTW. [15][16][17][18][19] Moreover, work presenteeism is associated with an array of physical and mental health benefits, 21 22 whereas work absenteeism is associated with an array of unfavourable physical and mental health outcomes, leading to a worse financial situation. [23][24][25] Currently, the benefits of RTW interventions remain uncertain.…”