Abstract
This study quantified the neck posture and fatigue using the flexion relaxation phenomenon (FRP) and craniovertebral angle (CVA); further, it compared the difference between the level of fatigue and neck posture induced by two types of monitors (regular fixed monitor and moving monitor). Twenty-three male participants were classified into two groups—the low-flexion relaxation ratio (FRR) group and the normal-FRR group, depending on the FRR value. All participants performed a document task for 50 min using both types of monitors. It was found that the FRR values significantly decreased after the documentation task. The CVA analysis showed that the moving monitor’s frequency of forward head posture (FHP) was lower than that for the fixed monitor. Overall, the moving monitor worked better than the fixed monitor; this can be interpreted as proof that such monitors can reduce neck fatigue.
Highlights
Advances in technology have increased the use of visual display terminals (VDTs) in industrial fields; especially, the wide use of personal computers has increased dramatically
If the Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) was higher than 48.7◦, it was defined as a “good” posture
The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in CVA according to the neck health condition (p = 0.079) and monitor type (p = 0.629), the low-flexion relaxation ratio (FRR) group (FRR < 2.5)
Summary
Advances in technology have increased the use of visual display terminals (VDTs) in industrial fields; especially, the wide use of personal computers has increased dramatically. Along with the growing use of VDT, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of VDT workers have emerged as a serious problem in recent years [1]. Most VDT workers watch the monitors for a long time; this may lead to awkward postures of the neck and head. The forward head posture (FHP) increases the loads on the necks and shoulders of people who spend many hours working on their computers; it causes back and neck pain in 30% of VDT workers [2]. FHP has been reported as the leading cause of WMSDs, such as pains of neck, shoulder, and headaches [4,5,6]. To diagnose FHP, the craniovertebral angle (CVA) has frequently been evaluated in many related studies [7,8,9]. CVA is the angle between a horizontal line passing through the spinous process of C7 and a line extending from C7 to the tragus of the ear [10]; a lower CVA (average CVAs with pain and without pain groups are 44.44 and 48.63, respectively) indicates higher
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