Introduction

Visual discomfort and neck/shoulder discomfort is often reported among people using computers in their work. Correlation between these two symptoms categories are repor-ted in cross-sectional studies (Wiholm et al. 2007). One aim of this laboratory study was to investigate how self reported visual- and neck/shoulder discomfort develop during periods of simulated demanding near work among participants with long-term neck pain

Methods

Thirty-three participants with neck pain (median age 37, range 20-47) did a lab based experimental viewing task four times. Each viewing task consisted of seven minutes focusing a zebra striped pattern on a computer screen with different trial lenses (-3.5, +3.5 and 0 dipoters, randomized order). Throughout the experiment, the participant sat leaned back and relaxed in an office chair with neck support. At baseline and after every viewing task, participant rated visual- and neck/shoulder discomfort with Borg CR-10.

 Results

Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze differences between the tasks within visual- and neck/shoulder discomfort. Visual discomfort increased from baseline until after task two    (p < 0.01), and then remained at the higher level - figure 1. Neck/shoulder discomfort decreased slightly (non significant) from baseline to after task one, and then increased during the remaining tasks – figure 1. The increase was significant between task one and two, and between task three and four (p < 0.01). There was a correlation between visual- and neck/shoulder pain (Spearman rho = 0.473, p < 0.01).  

Discussion and conclusion

Both visual- and neck/shoulder discomfort increases during periods of simulated demanding near work. The reason for the increased neck/shoulder discomfort can either be the demanding near work or the static posture that participants had to maintain. Further analysis is needed to determine the cause of increased symptoms.