An investigation of how acute muscle pain modulates performance during computer work with digitizer and puck

Birch, Laila; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars; Graven‐Nielsen, Thomas; Christensen, Hanne

doi:10.1016/s0003-6870(00)00061-2

Cited by 26 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Persistent low level spinal pain has been associated with reduced accuracy and speed on a computerbased information processing task (Harman and Ruyak 2005) and reduced self-reported productivity in computer users . It has been suggested that pain induces a dynamic reorganization of the coordination among muscles to reduce the use of the painful muscle while maintaining task performance (Birch et al 2001;Falla et al 2007). This may explain the lack of diVerence in number of words typed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alterations in cervical muscle activity in functional and stressful tasks in female office workers with neck pain

et al. 2008

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This study determined differences between computer workers with varying levels of neck pain in terms of work stressors, employee strain, electromyography (EMG) amplitude and heart rate response to various tasks. Participants included 85 workers (33, no pain; 38, mild pain; 14, moderate pain) and 22 non-working controls. Work stressors evaluated were job demands, decision authority, and social support. Heart rate was recorded during three tasks: copy-typing, typing with superimposed stress and a colour word task. Measures included electromyography signals from the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), anterior scalene (AS), cervical extensor (CE) and upper trapezius (UT) muscles bilaterally. Results showed no difference between groups in work stressors or employee strain measures. Workers with and without pain had higher measured levels of EMG amplitude in SCM, AS and CE muscles during the tasks than controls (all P < 0.02). In workers with neck pain, the UT had difficulty in switching off on completion of tasks compared with controls and workers without pain. There was an increase in heart rate, perceived tension and pain and decrease in accuracy for all groups during the stressful tasks with symptomatic workers producing more typing errors than controls and workers without pain. These findings suggest an altered muscle recruitment pattern in the neck flexor and extensor muscles. Whether this is a consequence or source of the musculoskeletal disorder cannot be determined from this study. It is possible that workers currently without symptoms may be at risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alterations in cervical muscle activity in functional and stressful tasks in female office workers with neck pain

et al. 2008

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“…Discomfort is also reported to influence the spinal load pattern during a lifting task (Parakkat et al, 2007). Further, muscle pain influences the neck and shoulder posture at work (Madeleine et al, 1999(Madeleine et al, , 2008a(Madeleine et al, , 2003bSzeto et al, 2002;Côté et al, 2005) even though some studies have reported no changes during work with lower physical demand (Birch et al, 2001;Arvidsson et al, 2008). We have indeed shown in laboratory conditions, that acute, subchronic or chronic neck-shoulder pain are accompanied by neuromuscular adaptations that can explain the transition from acute to chronic states (Madeleine et al, 2003b(Madeleine et al, , 2008a.…”

Section: Motor Changes In Relation To Discomfortmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the amount and structure of motor variability during a deboning process are associated with work experience and neck–shoulder discomfort

2009

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“…During the control session (no feedback), no feedback was applied. The standardized computer work was a timed click and drag computer mouse task previously described in details (Birch et al 2001).…”

Section: Experimental Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active biofeedback changes the spatial distribution of upper trapezius muscle activity during computer work

et al. 2010

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The aim of this study was to investigate the spatio-temporal effects of advanced biofeedback by inducing active and passive pauses on the trapezius activity pattern using high-density surface electromyography (HD-EMG). Thirteen healthy male subjects performed computer work with superimposed feedback either eliciting passive (rest) or active (approximately 30% MVC) pauses based on fuzzy logic design and a control session with no feedback. HD-EMG signals of upper trapezius were recorded using a 5 x 13 multichannel electrode grid. From the HD-EMG recordings, two-dimensional maps of root mean square (RMS), relative rest time (RRT) and permuted sample entropy (PeSaEn) were obtained. The centre of gravity (CoG) and entropy of maps were used to quantify changes in the spatial distribution of muscle activity. PeSaEn as a measure of temporal heterogeneity for each channel, decreased over the whole map in response to active pause (P < 0.05) underlining a more homogenous activation pattern. Concomitantly, the CoG of RRT maps moved in caudal direction and the entropy of RMS maps as a measure of spatial heterogeneity over the whole recording grid, increased in response to active pause session compared with control session (no feedback) (P < 0.05). Active pause compared with control resulted in more heterogeneous coordination of trapezius compared with no feedback implying a more uneven spatial distribution of the biomechanical load. The study introduced new aspects in relation to the potential benefit of superimposed muscle contraction in relation to the spatial organization of muscle activity during computer work.

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An investigation of how acute muscle pain modulates performance during computer work with digitizer and puck

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

Alterations in cervical muscle activity in functional and stressful tasks in female office workers with neck pain

Alterations in cervical muscle activity in functional and stressful tasks in female office workers with neck pain

Changes in the amount and structure of motor variability during a deboning process are associated with work experience and neck–shoulder discomfort

Active biofeedback changes the spatial distribution of upper trapezius muscle activity during computer work

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