Neck and upper extremity pain in sonographers - a longitudinal study
(2020) In BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 21.- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sonographers have reported a high occurrence of musculoskeletal pain for more than 25 years. Assessments of occupational risk factors have previously been based on cross-sectional surveys. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine which factors at baseline that were associated with neck/shoulder and elbow/hand pain at follow-up.
METHODS: A questionnaire was answered by 248 female sonographers at baseline and follow-up (85% of the original cohort). 208 were included in the analyses. Physical, visual, and psychosocial work-related conditions were assessed at baseline. Pain in two body regions (neck/shoulders and elbows/hands) was assessed at both baseline and follow up.
RESULTS: Pain at baseline showed... (More)
BACKGROUND: Sonographers have reported a high occurrence of musculoskeletal pain for more than 25 years. Assessments of occupational risk factors have previously been based on cross-sectional surveys. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine which factors at baseline that were associated with neck/shoulder and elbow/hand pain at follow-up.
METHODS: A questionnaire was answered by 248 female sonographers at baseline and follow-up (85% of the original cohort). 208 were included in the analyses. Physical, visual, and psychosocial work-related conditions were assessed at baseline. Pain in two body regions (neck/shoulders and elbows/hands) was assessed at both baseline and follow up.
RESULTS: Pain at baseline showed the strongest association with pain at follow-up in both body regions [prevalence ratio (PR) 2.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-2.76], for neck/shoulders and (PR 3.45; CI 2.29-5.22) for elbows/hands. Neck/shoulder pain at follow-up was associated with inability of ergonomic adjustments at the ultrasound device (PR 1.25; CI 1.05-1.49), a high mechanical exposure index (PR 1.66; CI 1.09-2.52), and adverse visual conditions (PR 1.24; CI 1.00-1.54) at baseline. Moreover, among participants with no neck/shoulder pain at baseline, high job demands (PR 1.78; CI 1.01-3.12), and a high mechanical exposure index (PR 2.0; CI 0.98-4.14) predicted pain at follow-up. Pain in the elbows/hands at follow-up was associated with high sensory demands at baseline (PR 1.63; CI 1.08-2.45), and among participants without pain at baseline high sensory demands predicted elbow/hand pain at follow-up (PR 3.34; CI 1.53-7.31).
CONCLUSION: Pain at baseline was the strongest predictor for pain at follow-up in both body regions. We also found several occupational factors at baseline that were associated with pain at follow-up: inability to adjust equipment, adverse visual conditions, a high MEI, high job demands and high sensory demands. These results point at a possibility to influence pain with better ergonomics.
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- author
- Gremark Simonsen, Jenny LU ; Axmon, Anna LU ; Nordander, Catarina LU and Arvidsson, Inger LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020-03-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
- volume
- 21
- article number
- 156
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85081919387
- pmid:32164619
- ISSN
- 1471-2474
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12891-020-3096-9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8e124576-f2ad-40b7-8965-f54441ce3a7d
- date added to LUP
- 2020-04-06 08:55:43
- date last changed
- 2024-09-18 20:57:03
@article{8e124576-f2ad-40b7-8965-f54441ce3a7d, abstract = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Sonographers have reported a high occurrence of musculoskeletal pain for more than 25 years. Assessments of occupational risk factors have previously been based on cross-sectional surveys. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine which factors at baseline that were associated with neck/shoulder and elbow/hand pain at follow-up.</p><p>METHODS: A questionnaire was answered by 248 female sonographers at baseline and follow-up (85% of the original cohort). 208 were included in the analyses. Physical, visual, and psychosocial work-related conditions were assessed at baseline. Pain in two body regions (neck/shoulders and elbows/hands) was assessed at both baseline and follow up.</p><p>RESULTS: Pain at baseline showed the strongest association with pain at follow-up in both body regions [prevalence ratio (PR) 2.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-2.76], for neck/shoulders and (PR 3.45; CI 2.29-5.22) for elbows/hands. Neck/shoulder pain at follow-up was associated with inability of ergonomic adjustments at the ultrasound device (PR 1.25; CI 1.05-1.49), a high mechanical exposure index (PR 1.66; CI 1.09-2.52), and adverse visual conditions (PR 1.24; CI 1.00-1.54) at baseline. Moreover, among participants with no neck/shoulder pain at baseline, high job demands (PR 1.78; CI 1.01-3.12), and a high mechanical exposure index (PR 2.0; CI 0.98-4.14) predicted pain at follow-up. Pain in the elbows/hands at follow-up was associated with high sensory demands at baseline (PR 1.63; CI 1.08-2.45), and among participants without pain at baseline high sensory demands predicted elbow/hand pain at follow-up (PR 3.34; CI 1.53-7.31).</p><p>CONCLUSION: Pain at baseline was the strongest predictor for pain at follow-up in both body regions. We also found several occupational factors at baseline that were associated with pain at follow-up: inability to adjust equipment, adverse visual conditions, a high MEI, high job demands and high sensory demands. These results point at a possibility to influence pain with better ergonomics.</p>}}, author = {{Gremark Simonsen, Jenny and Axmon, Anna and Nordander, Catarina and Arvidsson, Inger}}, issn = {{1471-2474}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{03}}, publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}}, series = {{BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}}, title = {{Neck and upper extremity pain in sonographers - a longitudinal study}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-3096-9}}, doi = {{10.1186/s12891-020-3096-9}}, volume = {{21}}, year = {{2020}}, }