Abstract
Objective:
To verify cervical pain symptoms in a group of office workers and investigate electromyographic signals of the upper trapezius muscle of office workers at rest.
Methods:
Exploratory study with an interventional approach conducted with workers from a port facility. Personal, symptomological, occupational and electrophysiological variables were examined, based on electromyographies of the cervical region. The chi-square test, student's t-test and Mann-Whitney test were applied.
Results:
Among the 43 workers who participated in the study, the mean score for shoulder and back neck pain was statistically higher among women than men. The formation of positive waves occurred before and after work, affecting ten workers. The completion of the workday did not cause signification modifications in cervical electrophysiological activity.
Conclusion:
The study identified ergonomic variables and reports of cervicalgia, as well as positive wave recruitment in a small group of workers, indicating that the use of new muscle assessment instruments by nurses can enhance their occupational health work. The sex of the participants proved to be an important variable in muscle pain assessment, especially among women. The pre-workday period was also relevant, demonstrating that actions engaged in before work can positively or negatively influence muscle conditions for the workday. As a result of the study, a group of workers that require muscle health promotion was defined.
Keywords
Occupational health; Electromyography; Muscle strength; Neck pain