Neck/shoulder discomfort due to visually demanding experimental near work is influenced by previous neck pain, task duration, astigmatism, internal eye discomfort and accommodation

Abstract

Visually demanding near work can cause eye discomfort, and eye and neck/shoulder discomfort during, e.g., computer work are associated. To investigate direct effects of experimental near work on eye and neck/shoulder discomfort, 33 individuals with chronic neck pain and 33 healthy control subjects performed a visual task four times using four different trial lenses (referred to as four different viewing conditions), and they rated eye and neck/ shoulder discomfort at baseline and after each task. Since symptoms of eye discomfort may differ depending on the underlying cause, two categories were used; internal eye discomfort, such as ache and strain, that may be caused by accommodative or vergence stress; and external eye discomfort, such as burning and smarting, that may be caused by dry-eye disorders. The cumulative performance time (reflected in the temporal order of the tasks), astigmatism, accommodation response and concurrent symptoms of internal eye discomfort all aggravated neck/shoulder discomfort, but there was no significant effect of external eye discomfort. There was also an interaction effect between the temporal order and internal eye discomfort: participants with a greater mean increase in internal eye discomfort also developed more neck/shoulder discomfort with time. Since moderate musculoskeletal symptoms are a risk factor for more severe symptoms, it is important to ensure a good visual environment in occupations involving visually demanding near work.

Visual system disorders and musculoskeletal neck complaints: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…S2, online only). After quality assessment analysis, we found the following items: (1) All case–control studies achieved five of 12 positive items. None received a negative item (they were not reported or could not be determined with the available information) (Table S2, online only).…”

“…Symptoms may include blurred vision, reading problems, headache, diplopia, and in many cases, difficulty in maintaining comfortable vision for a long time . Also, these visual disorders are associated with musculoskeletal discomfort in the neck and shoulder . Although the two conditions are usually studied independently, there are indications that they can be physiologically related .…”

“…Also, these visual disorders are associated with musculoskeletal discomfort in the neck and shoulder . Although the two conditions are usually studied independently, there are indications that they can be physiologically related . It is important to note that the computer vision syndrome (64–90% prevalence) is a term that encompasses one or more symptoms in the visual system, neck, and shoulder.…”

“…Some authors used questionnaires to record the subjects’ symptoms with a self‐report system . Others analyzed neck musculature at the same time as the visual system was altered . Some investigators specifically determined visual system variables and tried to establish a relationship between the presence of visual dysfunction and the nature of cervical ailments …”

Is it possible to relate accommodative visual dysfunctions to neck pain?

“…The specific aim was to investigate if an increase in ciliary muscle contraction force leads to a proportional and individualized increase in the level of trapezius muscle activity. These studies were the first to measure eye accommodation objectively and continuously while simultaneously measuring trapezius muscle activity . The limitations of those studies have been addressed in a recent study by Domkin et al .…”