Results Level of evidence from 54 high and medium quality studies showed moderate evidence of a positive effect of physical exercise .
Within this domain , there was strong evidence of a positive effect of workplace strength training .
There was limited evidence for ergonomics and strong evidence for no benefit of participatory ergonomics , multifaceted interventions , and stress management .
No intervention domains were associated with “ negative effects ” .
Conclusions The evidence synthesis recommends that implementing strength training at the workplace can reduce MSD  among workers with physically dem and ing work .
In regard to workplace ergonomics , there was not enough evidence from the scientific literature to guide current practice s. Based on the scientific literature , participatory ergonomics and multifaceted workplace interventions seem to have no beneficial effect on reducing MSD among this group of workers .
Purpose This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of workplace interventions to rehabilitate musculoskeletal disorders ( MSDs ) among employees with physically dem and ing work .
Effect of Individually Tailored Biopsychosocial Workplace Interventions on Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Stress Among Laboratory Technicians: Randomized Controlled Trial.
BACKGROUND Chronic musculoskeletal pain is prevalent among laboratory technicians and work-related stress may aggravate the problem . OBJECTIVES This study investigated the effect of a multifaceted worksite intervention on pain and stress among laboratory technicians with chronic musculoskeletal pain using individually tailored physical and cognitive elements . STUDY DESIGN This trial uses a single-blind r and omized controlled design with allocation concealment in a 2-armed parallel group format among laboratory technicians . The trial " Implementation of physical exercise at the Workplace (IRMA09)--Laboratory technicians " was registered at Clinical Trials.gov prior to participant enrolment . SETTING The study was conducted at the head division of a large private pharmaceutical company 's research and development department in Denmark . The study duration was March 2014 ( baseline ) to July 2014 ( follow-up ) . METHODS Participants ( n = 112 ) were allocated to receive either physical , cognitive , and mindfulness group-based training ( PCMT group ) or a reference group ( REF ) for 10 weeks at the worksite . PCMT consisted of 4 major elements : 1 ) resistance training individually tailored to the pain affected area , 2 ) motor control training , 3 ) mindfulness , and 4 ) cognitive and behavioral therapy/education . Participants of the REF group were encouraged to follow ongoing company health initiatives . The predefined primary outcome measure was pain intensity ( VAS scale 0 - 10 ) in average of the regions : neck , shoulder , lower and upper back , elbow , and h and at 10 week follow-up . The secondary outcome measure was stress assessed by Cohen´s perceived stress question naire . In addition , an explorative dose-response analysis was performed on the adherence to PCMT with pain and stress , respectively , as outcome measures . RESULTS A significant ( P < 0.0001 ) treatment by time interaction in pain intensity was observed with a between-group difference at follow-up of -1.0 ( 95%CI : -1.4 to -0.6 ) . No significant effect on stress was observed ( treatment by time P = 0.16 ) . Exploratory analyses for each body region separately showed significant pain reductions of the neck , shoulders , upper back and lower back , as well as a tendency for h and pain . Within the PCMT group , general linear models adjusted for age , baseline pain , and stress levels showed significant associations for the change in pain with the number of physical-cognitive training sessions per week ( -0.60 [ 95%CI -0.95 to -0.25 ] ) and the number of mindfulness sessions ( 0.15 [ 95%CI 0.02 to 0.18 ] ) . No such associations were found with the change in stress as outcome . LIMITATIONS Limitations of behavioral interventions include the inability to blind participants to which intervention they receive . Self-reported outcomes are a limitation as they may be influenced by placebo effects and outcome expectations . CONCLUSIONS We observed significant reductions in chronic musculoskeletal pain following a 10-week individually adjusted multifaceted intervention with physical training emphasizing dynamic joint mobility and mindfulness coupled with fear-avoidance and de-catastrophizing behavioral therapy compared to a reference group encouraged to follow on-going company health initiatives . A higher dose of physical-cognitive training appears to facilitate pain reduction , whereas a higher dose of mindfulness appears to increase pain . Hence , combining physical training with mindfulness may not be an optimal strategy for pain reduction . TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02047669
Results Level of evidence from 54 high and medium quality studies showed moderate evidence of a positive effect of physical exercise .
Within this domain , there was strong evidence of a positive effect of workplace strength training .
There was limited evidence for ergonomics and strong evidence for no benefit of participatory ergonomics , multifaceted interventions , and stress management .
No intervention domains were associated with “ negative effects ” .
Conclusions The evidence synthesis recommends that implementing strength training at the workplace can reduce MSD  among workers with physically dem and ing work .
In regard to workplace ergonomics , there was not enough evidence from the scientific literature to guide current practice s. Based on the scientific literature , participatory ergonomics and multifaceted workplace interventions seem to have no beneficial effect on reducing MSD among this group of workers .
Purpose This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of workplace interventions to rehabilitate musculoskeletal disorders ( MSDs ) among employees with physically dem and ing work .