Prevention and Intervention of Neck Pain in Swiss Office-Workers

This study is the first that investigates the impact of a multi-component intervention combining current evidence of effective interventions with an adherence app to assess the potential benefits on productivity, neck pain, and headache.

Non-specific neck pain and headache are major economic and individual burdens in office-workers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a multi-component intervention combining workstation ergonomics, health promotion information group workshops, neck exercises, and an app to enhance intervention adherence to assess possible reductions in the economic and individual burden of neck pain and headache in office workers.

This study is a stepped wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants will be any office-worker aged 18-65 years from two Swiss organisations in the Canton of Zurich and Canton of Aargau, working more than 25 hours a week in predominantly sedentary office work and without serious health conditions of the neck. 120 voluntary participants will be assigned to 15 clusters which, at randomly selected time steps, switch from the control to the intervention group. The intervention will last 12 weeks and comprises workstation ergonomics, health promotion information group workshops, neck exercises and an adherence app. The primary outcome will be health-related productivity losses (presenteeism, absenteeism) using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will include neck disability and pain. Physical and health outcomes (e.g. Neck Disability Index, muscle strength, and endurance), psychosocial outcomes (e.g. job-stress index, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), workplace outcomes (e.g. workstation ergonomics), and individual outcomes (e.g. socio-demographic data, adherence to intervention) will be assessed. Measurements will take place at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 16 months, and 28 months after commencement. Data will be analysed on an 'intention to treat' basis and per protocol. Primary and secondary outcomes will be examined using linear mixed-effects models.

This study is the first that investigates the impact of a multi-component intervention combining current evidence of effective interventions with an adherence app to assess the potential benefits on productivity, neck pain, and headache. The outcomes will impact the individual, their workplace, as well as private and public policy by offering evidence for treatment and prevention of neck pain and headache in office-workers.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion criteria:

* Swiss office-workers, who suffer from NP or want to take prevention of neck pain or headache
* 18-65 years old
* working more than 25 hours per week (0.6 full-time equivalent) in predominantly sedentary office work
* be able to communicate in German (written, spoken)
* have provided written informed consent

Exclusion criteria:

* previous trauma or injuries to the neck (NP grade 4)
* specific diagnosed pathologies (e.g., congenital cervical abnormalities, stenosis, fracture, radiculopathy)
* inflammatory condition (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis)
* any history of cervical spine surgery
* if exercise is contraindicated (e.g., medical advice, own beliefs)
* prolonged absence from work (more than four consecutive weeks) during the study intervention period
* pregnant women