A Comparison of Two Different Wrist Immobilization Methods

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the splint and rigid taping on the muscle activation of the upper trapezius muscle during computer typing tasks in office workers. The study will be conducted on 10 healthy office workers. The study subjects will be asked to type on a computer for 5 minutes (1) without splint or taping, (2) with a splint and (3) with rigid taping which limits the wrist flexion at the dominant side. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded by surface EMG during the task. The mean values will be normalized according to Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) and %MVIC values.

Official Title
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Muscle Activation Of The Upper Trapezius During Computer Typing Task: A Comparison of Two Different Wrist Immobilization Methods

Conditions
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Work-Related Condition

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Wrist Splint
* Other: Rigid Taping


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Being an office worker between 20-35 years of age Using a computer for at least 4 hours a day Working full time for at least 1 year without any upper extremity pathology Exclusion Criteria: Having a body mass index of 30 kg / m2 or more on the day of evaluation Using muscle relaxants 72 hours before the evaluation Exercising within the last 48 hours

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 35 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Screening
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Control Group<br>The subjects will be asked to type on a computer for 5 minutes without splint or taping. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded by surface EMG during the task. The mean values will be normalized according to Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) and %MVIC values. | |
| Experimental: Splint Group<br>The subjects will be asked to type on a computer for 5 minutes with a splint. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded by surface EMG during the task. The mean values will be normalized according to Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) and %MVIC values. | Other: Wrist Splint<br>* Neutral position and volar supported wrist orthosis which limits the flexion and deviation while allowing pronation, supination, and extension of the wrist.<br>|
| Experimental: Rigid Taping Group<br>The subjects will be asked to type on a computer for 5 minutes with rigid taping which limits the wrist flexion at the dominant side. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded by surface EMG during the task. The mean values will be normalized according to Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) and %MVIC values. | Other: Rigid Taping<br>* Rigid taping in the neutral position will be performed to allow pronation, supination, and extension of the wrist while limiting the flexion and deviation.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Measurement of Muscle Activation for Control Group | Surface Electromyography (sEMG) device will be used for measurement of muscle activation. The electrodes going to be placed according to the SENIAM criteria(1). First, the MVIC will be performed by each individual in the manual muscle testing position. 6 seconds MVIC will be measured with 3 repetitions and a 3-minute rest period going to be given. The highest value of the three measurements will be recorded as MVIC. The computer task consists of typing 300-word text for 5 minutes. Individuals will be instructed about the typing task and to be seated comfortably and as close to screen as possible. The 5-minute typing task will be performed without orthosis or taping. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded with the sEMG. The number of words participants wrote will be noted. To prevent muscle fatigue, a resting period of 5 minutes will be given. The mean values (mV) during the writing task with sEMG will be normalized according to MVIC and %MVIC values will be determined. | It will be recorded at baseline for MVIC and 1 minute after baseline while performing the 5-minute typing task on computer for %MVIC | 
| Measurement of Muscle Activation for Splint Group | Surface Electromyography (sEMG) device will be used for measurement of muscle activation. The electrodes going to be placed according to the SENIAM criteria(1). First, the MVIC will be performed by each individual in the manual muscle testing position. 6 seconds MVIC will be measured with 3 repetitions and a 3-minute rest period going to be given. The highest value of the three measurements will be recorded as MVIC. The computer task consists of typing 300-word text for 5 minutes. Individuals will be instructed about the typing task and to be seated comfortably and as close to screen as possible. The 5-minute typing task will be performed with orthosis. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded with the sEMG. The number of words participants wrote will be noted. To prevent muscle fatigue, a resting period of 5 minutes will be given. The mean values (mV) during the writing task with sEMG will be normalized according to MVIC and %MVIC values will be determined. | It will be recorded at baseline for MVIC and 1 minute after baseline while performing the 5-minute typing task on computer for %MVIC | 
| Measurement of Muscle Activation for Rigid Taping Group | Surface Electromyography (sEMG) device will be used for measurement of muscle activation. The electrodes going to be placed according to the SENIAM criteria(1). First, the MVIC will be performed by each individual in the manual muscle testing position. 6 seconds MVIC will be measured with 3 repetitions and a 3-minute rest period going to be given. The highest value of the three measurements will be recorded as MVIC. The computer task consists of typing 300-word text for 5 minutes. Individuals will be instructed about the typing task and to be seated comfortably and as close to screen as possible. The 5-minute typing task will be performed with rigid taping. The upper trapezius muscle activation will be recorded with the sEMG. The number of words participants wrote will be noted. To prevent muscle fatigue, a resting period of 5 minutes will be given. The mean values (mV) during the writing task with sEMG will be normalized according to MVIC and %MVIC values will be determined. | It will be recorded at baseline for MVIC and 10 minutes after baseline while performing the 5-minute typing task on computer for %MVIC |