Physical rehabilitation with ergonomic intervention of currently working keyboard operators with nonspecific/type II work-related upper limb disorder: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a physical training program in combination with ergonomic changes in a group of keyboard operators with nonspecific/type II work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD).

DESIGN: Prospective study.

SETTING: Hospital department.

PARTICIPANTS: Pain-free controls (n=6) and currently working patients with WRULD (n=17) were included.

INTERVENTIONS: Participants were taught how to self-rehabilitate according to a previously published physical exercise program, in addition the patients requested maximal ergonomic assistance from their employer according to British law.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Pain at rest and after a standardized functional typing test, before and after rehabilitation, with recording of endurance and calculation of typing speed during the tests. Statistical evaluation: Student t test, paired, and 2-tailed.

RESULTS: After the rehabilitation program, the patients as a group had significantly less pain both at rest (P=.009) and after the typing test (P<.001). The typing endurance improved significantly (P=.027) and became similar to the healthy control group (P =.09). The typing speed improved significantly in the patient group after rehabilitation (P=.032) and became similar to the normal control group (P=.058).

CONCLUSIONS: Currently working keyboard operators with nonspecific/type II WRULD can benefit significantly from a combination of an individualized self-administered physical rehabilitation program and ergonomic work place improvements. Randomized control studies are needed to further investigate the long-term effect of this encouraging finding.