Abstract
Abstract : The purpose of this study was to determine select characteristics of neck and back symptoms among E-2C Hawkeye aircrew. One hundred eighty-five E-2C aircrew volunteered to complete a neck and back pain and symptoms survey. The mean (+- SD) age and flight time were 30.6 (+- 4.3) years and 1392 (+- 1003) hr, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of pilots and 74% of Naval Flight Officers (NFO) reported neck and/or back pain in the past year. Similarly, 68% of pilots and 70% of NFO reported experiencing neck and/or back symptoms in their past 30 flights. The most common symptom was an in-flight dull ache, lasting 24-48 hours. Although the vast majority of the subjects reported they perform aerobic exercises (94%), calisthenics (73%), and resistance exercises (62%) on a regular basis, this did not affect their susceptibility to neck and/or back pain. Changes in cockpit ergonomics and the implementation of a stretching program for the aircrew may be the best remedy to the problem.
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