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 .
The effectiveness of participatory ergonomics to prevent low-back and neck pain--results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE The aim of this r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) was to investigate the effectiveness of the Stay@Work participatory ergonomics ( PE ) program to prevent low-back and neck pain . METHODS A total of 37 departments were r and omly allocated to either the  intervention ( PE ) or control group ( no PE ) . During a six-hour meeting , working groups followed the PE steps and composed and prioritized ergonomic measures aim ed at preventing low-back and neck pain . Subsequently , working groups were requested to implement the ergonomic measures in the departments . The primary outcomes were low-back and neck pain prevalence and secondary outcomes were pain intensity and duration . Data were collected by question naires at baseline , and after 3- , 6- , 9- , and 12-months follow-up . Additionally , the course of low-back and neck pain ( transitions from no symptoms to symptoms and from symptoms to no symptoms ) was modeled . RESULTS The r and omization procedure result ed in 19 intervention departments ( N=1472 workers ) and 18 control departments ( N=1575 workers ) . After 12 months , the intervention was not more effective than the control group in reducing the prevalence of low-back and neck pain or reducing pain intensity and duration .  PE did not increase the probability of preventing low-back pain [ odds ratio ( OR ) 1.23 , 95 % confidence interval ( 95 % CI ) 0.97 - 1.57 ) or neck pain ( OR 1.01 , 95 % CI 0.74 - 1.40 ) . However , PE increased the probability of recovering from low-back pain ( OR 1.41 , 95 % CI 1.01 - 1.96 ) , but not from neck pain ( OR 0.95 , 95 % CI 0.72 - 1.26 ) . CONCLUSION PE neither reduced low-back and neck pain prevalence nor pain intensity and duration nor was it effective in the prevention of low-back and neck pain or the recovery from neck pain . However , PE was more effective in the recovery from low-back pain
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 .