Effects of the Computer Desk Level on the Musculoskeletal Discomfort of Neck and Upper Extremities and EMG Activities in Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries

Background. Computers are used as a means of social communication, for work and other purposes. However, patients with spinal cord injuries may have a higher risk than normal individuals with musculoskeletal problems when using computers owing to their inability to control respective postures due to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Occupational therapy international 2019-01, Vol.2019 (2019), p.1-10
Main Authors: Ko, Tae-Sung, Lee, Ju-Sang, Her, Jin-Gang, Kang, Bo-Ra, You, Young-Youl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Back Muscles - physiopathology
Cervical spinal cord injuries
Cervical Vertebrae - injuries
Computers
Disability
Discomfort
Elbow
Electromyography
Ergonomics
Female
Humans
Interior Design and Furnishings
Keyboarding
Keyboards
Male
Middle Aged
Muscles
Myalgia - physiopathology
Neck
Neck Muscles - physiopathology
Occupational safety
Occupational Therapy
Patients
Posture
Rehabilitation
Sensory functioning
Sitting Position
Spinal cord
Spinal cord injuries
Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology
Thoracic Vertebrae - injuries
Upper Extremity - physiopathology
Wheelchairs
Work environment
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Summary:Background. Computers are used as a means of social communication, for work and other purposes. However, patients with spinal cord injuries may have a higher risk than normal individuals with musculoskeletal problems when using computers owing to their inability to control respective postures due to problems in motor and sensory functioning. Objectives. This study is aimed at identifying the effect of computer desk heights on musculoskeletal discomforts of the neck and upper extremities and EMG activities in patients with spinal cord (C6) and upper thoracic spinal cord injuries. Methods. Participants of the present study were the patients diagnosed with ASIA A or B. The patients were divided into two groups according to their spinal cord injuries: C6 group and T2-T6 group. The level of the desk was set at 5 cm below the elbow, at the elbow level, and 5 cm above the elbow level. Electromyography was used to measure the duration of typing task EMG(%RVC) of the cervical erector spinae, upper trapezius, anterior deltoid, and wrist extensor. Subjective musculoskeletal discomfort (Borg-RPE) was measured at the end of the experiment. Results. The two groups showed differences in terms of RPE corresponding to each level of the computer desk (p
ISSN:0966-7903
1557-0703
DOI:10.1155/2019/3026150