Background. Neck/shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder among adults. The pain is often assumed to be related to muscular tenderness rather than serious chronic disease. Aim. To determine the association between neck/shoulder pain intensity and trapezius muscle tenderness in office workers. Methods. 653 employees from two large office workplaces in Copenhagen, Denmark, replied to a ...

[Purpose] The present study examined the effects of wearing rubber gloves on the activities of the forearm and shoulder muscles during two dishwashing stages. [Subjects] This study included 10 young females. [Methods] The participants performed two dishwashing stages (washing and rinsing) with and without rubber gloves. The activities of the wrist flexor and upper trapezius muscles were measure...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of neck retraction taping on forward head posture and the upper trapezius muscle of computer workers during computer work. [Subjects] Twelve males aged 20-30 years were recruited. [Methods] We measured forward head angle and upper trapezius muscle activity during computer work before and after NRT. [Results] The FHP angle signifi...

[Purpose] This study developed methods of shoulder supporting banding and shoulder pulling banding using elastic bands for scapular dyskinesis patients with shoulder depression and scapular downward rotation and investigated the effect on shoulder pain and scapular position. [Subject] The subject was a scapular dyskinesis patient with shoulder depression and scapular downward rotation and shoul...

The habitual activity patterns of trapezius and postural back muscles (multifidus, iliocostalis, longissimus) of 23 female subjects with moderate physical activity were studied. Bilateral surface electromyographic (sEMG) recordings from start of work until bedtime were analyzed. The activity level was calibrated as percentage of root mean square-detected muscle activity at maximal voluntary con...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of stretching and stabilization exercises on muscle fatigue of the neck erector spine and upper trapezius muscles. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 26 healthy university students (14 males and 12 females). Each subject was assigned randomly to each of three study groups in order to prevent order ...

BACKGROUND Frequently using non-slanted computer mice will cause musculoskeletal discomfort and symptoms in forearms and shoulders. Ergonomic mice with different slanted angles may have various effects on forearm and shoulder muscle activity. METHODS All of the twelve subjects performed the same text-editing task with the five different slanted mice. The muscle activity of extensor carpi ulna...

The objective of the present study was to gain insight into the effects of precision demands and mental pressure on the load of the upper extremity. Two computer mouse tasks were used: an aiming and a tracking task. Upper extremity loading was operationalized as the myo-electric activity of the wrist flexor and extensor and of the trapezius descendens muscles and the applied grip- and click-for...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to analyze cervical muscle activity at different traction forces of an air-inflatable neck traction device. [Subjects] Eighteen males participated in this study. [Methods] The subjects put on an air-inflatable neck traction device and the traction forces administered were 40, 80, and 120 mmHg. The electromyography (EMG) signals of the splenius capitis, an...

INTRODUCTION Dry needling (DN) is an effective method for the treatment of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). There is no report on the neurophysiological effects of DN in patients with MTrPs. The aim of the present study will be to assess the immediate neurophysiological efficacy of deep DN in patients with upper trapezius MTrPs. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A prospective, controlled clinical trial ...