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Poor neck and shoulder postures have been suggested to be a cause of neck and shoulder pain in computer workers. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the head, neck and shoulder postures of office workers with and without symptoms in these regions, in their actual work environments. The two all female subject groups reported significantly different discomfort scores across five trials repeated in a single working day. The results of repeated video capture and two-dimensional motion analysis showed that there were trends for increased head tilt and neck flexion postures in the symptomatic subjects (n = 8), compared to the asymptomatic subjects (n = 8). Symptomatic subjects also tended to have more protracted acromions compared with asymptomatic subjects and showed greater movement excursions in the head segment and the acromion. All subjects demonstrated an approximately 10% increase in forward head posture from their relaxed sitting postures when working with the computer display, but there were no significant changes in posture as a result of time-at-work. Keywords: Forward head posture; Discomfort; Work-related neck and upper limb disorders

Health professionals handling patients are known to be at risk of sustaining work related low back injuries. It is not known whether the use of lifting slings reduces the risk of injury to the lumbar spine for patient handlers. This study used kinematic variables and subjective ratings of body part stress and lifter preference as measures of relative risk for three two-person techniques for carrying a patient from one chair to another chair. The techniques used no slings, one and two slings respectively. Twenty-two nurses performed five trials each of the three techniques. Kinematic measures of angular displacement, velocity and acceleration were obtained using the lumbar motion monitor and visual analogue scales were used to obtain measures of body part stress for seven body parts. Angular displacement, velocity and acceleration were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the frontal, sagittal and transverse planes for the no sling technique compared to techniques using slings. Comparatively small yet significant differences between techniques using slings were recorded for sagittal flexion and rotation. There was no significant difference between one and two sling techniques for other dependent variables. Mean total body stress rating was higher for the no sling technique and all subjects indicated that their first preference was for slings. Although all three measures of risk rated the no sling technique as carrying a higher level of risk than the techniques using slings. No single measure adequately captured all aspects of relative risk. The elimination of manual patient handling is thought to be the best option for the reduction of work related back injuries in patient handlers. Where resources or technology are not yet adequate to provide practical alternatives and where the use of manual technique for a seat to seat task is unavoidable, the use of patient handling slings will reduce the risk.

This study evaluated the postural implications of using a laptop computer. Laptop computer screens and keyboards are joined, and are therefore unable to be adjusted separately in terms of screen height and distance, and keyboard height and distance. The posture required for their use is likely to be constrained, as little adjustment can be made for the anthropometric differences of users. In addition to the postural constraints, the study looked at discomfort levels and performance when using laptops as compared with desktops. Statistical analysis showed significantly greater neck flexion and head tilt with laptop use. The other body angles measured (trunk, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and scapula and neck protraction/retraction) showed no statistical differences. The average discomfort experienced after using the laptop for 20min, although appearing greater than the discomfort experienced after using the desktop, was not significantly greater. When using the laptop, subjects tended to perform better than when using the desktop, though not significantly so. Possible reasons for the results are discussed and implications of the fundings outlined. Keywords: posture, discomfort, performance, computer, work-related neck and upper limb disorders, VDU