We found inconsistent evidence that the use of an arm support or an alternative mouse may or may not reduce the incidence of neck or shoulder MSDs .
For other physical ergonomic interventions there is no evidence of an effect .
For organisational interventions , in the form of supplementary breaks , there is very low- quality evidence of an effect on upper limb discomfort .
For training and multifaceted interventions there is no evidence of an effect on upper limb pain or discomfort .
BACKGROUND Work-related upper limb and neck musculoskeletal disorders ( MSDs ) are one of the most common occupational disorders worldwide .
Studies have shown that the percentage of office workers that suffer from MSDs ranges from 20 to 60 per cent .
The direct and indirect costs of work-related upper limb MSDs have been reported to be high in Europe , Australia , and the United States .
Although ergonomic interventions are likely to reduce the risk of office workers developing work-related upper limb and neck MSDs , the evidence is unclear .
This is an up date of a Cochrane Review which was last published in 2012 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of physical , cognitive and organisational ergonomic interventions , or combinations of those interventions for the prevention of work-related upper limb and neck MSDs among office workers .
Effort-reward imbalance and one-year change in neck-shoulder and upper extremity pain among call center computer operators.
OBJECTIVE The literature on psychosocial job factors and musculoskeletal pain is inconclusive in part due to insufficient control for confounding by biomechanical factors . The aim of this study was to investigate prospect ively the independent effects of effort-reward imbalance ( ERI ) at work on regional musculoskeletal pain of the neck and upper extremities of call center operators after controlling for ( i ) duration of computer use both at work and at home , ( ii ) ergonomic workstation design , ( iii ) physical activities during leisure time , and ( iv ) other individual worker characteristics . METHODS This was a one-year prospect i ve study among 165 call center operators who participated in a r and omized ergonomic intervention trial that has been described previously . Over an approximate four-week period , we measured ERI and 28 potential confounders via a question naire at baseline . Regional upper-body pain and computer use was measured by weekly surveys for up to 12 months following the implementation of ergonomic interventions .  Regional pain change scores were calculated as the difference between average weekly pain scores pre- and post intervention . RESULTS A significant relationship was found between high average ERI ratios and one-year increases in right upper-extremity pain after adjustment for pre-intervention regional mean pain score , current and past physical workload , ergonomic workstation design , and anthropometric , sociodemographic , and behavioral risk factors . No significant associations were found with change in neck-shoulder or left upper-extremity pain . CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that ERI predicts regional upper-extremity pain in -computer operators working > or=20 hours per week . Control for physical workload and ergonomic workstation design was essential for identifying ERI as a risk factor
We found inconsistent evidence that the use of an arm support or an alternative mouse may or may not reduce the incidence of neck or shoulder MSDs .
For other physical ergonomic interventions there is no evidence of an effect .
For organisational interventions , in the form of supplementary breaks , there is very low- quality evidence of an effect on upper limb discomfort .
For training and multifaceted interventions there is no evidence of an effect on upper limb pain or discomfort .
BACKGROUND Work-related upper limb and neck musculoskeletal disorders ( MSDs ) are one of the most common occupational disorders worldwide .
Studies have shown that the percentage of office workers that suffer from MSDs ranges from 20 to 60 per cent .
The direct and indirect costs of work-related upper limb MSDs have been reported to be high in Europe , Australia , and the United States .
Although ergonomic interventions are likely to reduce the risk of office workers developing work-related upper limb and neck MSDs , the evidence is unclear .
This is an up date of a Cochrane Review which was last published in 2012 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of physical , cognitive and organisational ergonomic interventions , or combinations of those interventions for the prevention of work-related upper limb and neck MSDs among office workers .