Team learning and self-management for video display terminal employees with chronic neck-shoulders pain
¹Outpatient Department, Riga 1st Hospital; Bruninieku 5, LV-1005 Riga, Latvia 2Ergonomics Research Centre, University of Latvia; Kr. Valdemara 48, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia 3Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Latvia; Aspazijas blvd. 5, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia; *Correspondence: henrijs.kalkis@lu.lv
Abstract:
In Latvia occupational musculoskeletal disorder – chronic neck-shoulders pain (NSP) – is a common complaint in the general population, also in video display terminal (VDT) employees in their giving age, working in bank and agriculture system, and such patients with chronic NSP load markedly the public health care service. The biopsychosocial influence on pain for VDT employees is team learning (TL) with self-management (SM) strategies: pain-blocking imagery, mind-body relaxation, cognitive restructuring of unpleasant physical and emotional experience, improvement of workplace relations and organizational culture. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of using TL and SM one month course for bank and agricultural advisory services VDT employees, females and males, suffering from chronic moderate NSP. The structured self-administrated questionnaire was carried out to find out which body parts suffer from pain during workload, information on work-related ergonomic and psychosocial risk factors was collected during face to face interviews. During testing for TL and SM course with follow-up assessment was selected 21 VDT employees (females = 11, males = 10; age between 22 and 50). The intensity of NSP was determined by using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), life quality assessment was analysed with Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), p-value, confidence interval was calculated. Patients were asked to keep a Pain Diary during treatment course. The results indicated decrease in neck-shoulders pain intensity, and positive quality of life changes after TL and SM intervention in video display terminal (VDT) employees. Statistically significant reduction in pain intensity after TL and SM intervention by the biopsychosocial influence on pain according NPRS was among males, and the life quality according to QOLS score – among females. The necessity to perform patient’s objective clinical examinations, subjective tests of self-esteem, to keep a Pain Diary during treatment course has been proved in our research. Key words: chronic moderate neck-shoulders pain, video display terminal employees, team learning, self-management.INTRODUCTION
Key words:
The experience of pain at work is a complex phenomenon, which includes bodily