Musculoskeletal Pain and Teleworking in Times of the COVID-19: Analysis of the Impact on the Workers at Two Spanish Universities

Abstract

The special situation brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and the confinement imposed by the Government, has given rise to numerous changes in working habits. The workers at the universities have had to start a period of teleworking that could give rise to consequences for the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this article is to analyze the impact of the confinement on the musculoskeletal health of the staff of two Spanish universities. A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out on the workers. Data was taken in April–May 2020 and included: The Standardized Kuorinka Modified Nordic Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale and another one on sociodemographic data. This study comprised 472 people. The areas of pain noted during the confinement period concluded that it was less in all cases (p < 0.001). The frequency of physical activity carried out increased significantly during the period of confinement (p < 0.04), especially in women. The type of physical activity done was also seen to modify during this period (p < 0.001), with a preference for strength training and stretching exercises. In conclusion, the confinement gave rise to changes in the lifestyle and in the musculoskeletal pain of the workers at the universities. All of this must be taken into account by health institutions and those responsible for the Prevention of Occupational Risks at Spanish universities.

Ergonomic Risk Factors of Teleworking in Ecuador during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…About a third felt the same in the arm, forearm, hand, wrist, and shoulders. These results are consistent with studies conducted by international occupational health and safety organizations on the use of video display terminals [ 17 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…In this study, it was determined by data related to temporary ergonomics that most of the respondents have worked more than 4 h per day for seven months, which means that workers are subjected to the probability of suffering from various health alterations in the future due to the intensive use of the video display terminal [ 16 , 17 , 20 ].…”

“…On the other hand, occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors is defined as “occupational exposure to one or more of the following factors: forceful exertion, demanding posture, repetitive motion, hand-arm vibration, kneeling or squatting, lifting and climbing” [ 17 ].…”

“…In turn, another study [ 17 ] proved that confinement resulted in positive lifestyle changes and decreased musculoskeletal pain in university professors in Spain. Besides this, it has been confirmed that there is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, mainly in the dorsal–lumbar spine and neck, and there is an association of these disorders with ergonomic risk factors, prolonged posture and long working hours [ 24 ].…”

Tenderness of the Skin after Chemical Stimulation of Underlying Temporal and Thoracolumbar Fasciae Reveals Somatosensory Crosstalk between Superficial and Deep Tissues

“…Such musculoskeletal pain conditions are favorably affected by increased bodily activity [3][4][5]. Notably, recent epidemiological studies revealed that the current global confinement situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic initiated an increased frequency of moderate exercise, lowering the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain complaints [6,7]. The development of these chronic musculoskeletal pain states is potentially linked to central sensitization, (i.e., amplified transmission at central nociceptive neurons) [8,9], which is manifested by pain hypersensitivity [10] spreading heterotopically to sites beyond those directly affected by musculoskeletal input manipulation [11,12].…”