Stochastic Resonance Training Improves Balance and Musculoskeletal Well-Being in Office Workers: A Controlled Preventive Intervention Study

2021

Workplace Health Saf

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Background: Auxiliary tasks such as administrative work often include tasks that are unnecessary in the view of workers but still have to be done. These tasks can threaten a worker’s self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of unnecessary and unreasonable tasks on musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Fifty-five office workers (29 male; mean age = 41.96, SD = 14.2 years) reported their unnecessary and unreasonable tasks at the beginning of the study and kept a diary of their daily musculoskeletal pain over 5 weeks, using a visual analogue scale. Other work-related risk factors (prolonged sitting), job resources (participation in decision-making), and individual risk factors (sex, smoking, exercise, body mass index, maladaptive back beliefs) were controlled for in multilevel regression analysis. Findings: Multilevel regression analysis with 742 reports showed unnecessary tasks ( B = 4.27, p = .006)—but not unreasonable tasks ( B = 3.05, p = .074)—to predict the daily intensity of musculoskeletal pain, beyond other significant risk factors, such as prolonged sitting ( B = 2.06, p = .039), body mass index ( B = 1.52, p < .001), and maladaptive back beliefs ( B = 3.78, p = .003). Participation in decision-making was not a significant protective factor ( B = −1.67, p = .176). Conclusions/Application to Practice: The higher frequency of unnecessary tasks—compared with unreasonable tasks—could place workers at risk for musculoskeletal pain. Work redesign that reduces unnecessary and unreasonable tasks can make a valuable contribution to worker health and safety among office workers.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Unnecessary Tasks Weigh Heavily on the Back: A Diary Study on Musculoskeletal Pain

2021

Workplace Health Saf

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“…before and after the exercise. 2,5 Participants answered on a rating-scale from 0 being "a lot worse than usual" to 100 being "much better than usual", and with 50 being "same as always". No practical tests to determine the balance were carried out.…”

Section: Questionnaire Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also, SR-WBV increases surefootedness, balance and postural control for example in nurses or office workers. [5][6][7] The positive effects described above are supported by particularly good compliance rates on the part of study participants. In a hospital based trial there was a 100% participation rate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8 Even better than this, office workers had a training attendance of 129%, hence more than instructed. 5 Elfering et al 2 explain that SR-WBV is low in nonmonetary effort compared to conventional exercises. The exercising duration is about 10 minutes short and is not exhausting, so users do not sweat and therefore do not have to change clothes or take a shower.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Musculoskeletal and cognitive effects of stochastic resonance whole body vibration: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Salathé

Cébe

et al. 2020

BJHBS

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Introduction: We investigated the acute musculoskeletaland cognitive effects of stochastic resonance whole-bodyvibration (SR-WBV). To our knowledge, no study looked atthe effects of SR-WBV on inhibitory control so far. Materialsand Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, participantswere randomly allocated into a verum (6 Hz, SR-WBV)or sham (2 Hz, SR-WBV) condition. Inhibitory control wasmeasured with the Stroop Test before and after the exercise.Also, muscle stiffness, muscle relaxation, sense of balanceand surefootedness were assessed in a questionnaire beforeand after the exercise. Results: Inhibitory control increasedsignificantly after verum SR-WBV (t = 2.949, P = 0.018), butnot after sham SR-WBV (t = 1.165, P = 0.252). Muscle stiffnessdecreased significantly after verum (t = 5.273, P < 0.000), butnot after sham SR-WBV (t = 1.533, P = 0.135). Also, musclerelaxation increased significantly after verum (t = -2.879, P =0.007), but not after sham SR-WBV (t = -1.650, P = 0.108). Senseof balance increased significantly after verum (t = -2.061, P =0.047), but not after sham SR-WBV (t = 0.347, P = 0.730). Nosignificant effect was found in surefootedness, whether afterverum (t = -0.966, P = 0.341) nor after sham SR-WBV (t = 0.849,P = 0.402). Conclusions: SR-WBV seems to be an appropriatemethod to improve not only physiological measurements butnewly also cognition, i.e. inhibitory control. In this study wecould show that SR-WBV exercise reduces interference andincreases inhibitory control in a young and healthy sample.Keywords: Stochastic resonance whole body vibration (SRWBV);Musculoskeletal effects; Cognitive effects; Inhibitorycontrol; Randomized controlled trial.

Beyond physiology: Acute effects of side-alternating whole-body vibration on well-being, flexibility, balance, and cognition using a light and portable platform A randomized controlled trial

Front. Sports Act. Living

Salathé

Luna

2023

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A good body-balance helps to prevent slips, trips and falls. New body-balance interventions must be explored, because effective methods to implement daily training are sparse. The purpose of the current study was to investigate acute effects of side-alternating whole-body vibration (SS-WBV) training on musculoskeletal well-being, flexibility, body balance, and cognition. In this randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly allocated into a verum (8.5 Hz, SS-WBV, N = 28) or sham (6 Hz, SS-WBV, N = 27) condition. The training consisted of three SS-WBV series that lasted one-minute each with two one-minute breaks in between. During the SS-WBV series, participants stood in the middle of the platform with slightly bent knees. During the breaks in between, participants could loosen up. Flexibility (modified fingertip-to-floor method), balance (modified Star Excursion Balance Test), and cognitive interference (Stroop Color Word Test) were tested before and after the exercise. Also, musculoskeletal well-being, muscle relaxation, sense of flexibility, sense of balance, and surefootedness were assessed in a questionnaire before and after the exercise. Musculoskeletal well-being was significantly increased only after verum. Also, muscle relaxation was significantly higher only after verum. The Flexibility-Test showed significant improvement after both conditions. Accordingly, sense of flexibility was significantly increased after both conditions. The Balance-Test showed significant improvement after verum, and after sham. Accordingly, increased sense of balance was significant after both conditions. However, surefootedness was significantly higher only after verum. The Stroop-Test showed significant improvement only after verum. The current study shows that one SS-WBV training session increases musculoskeletal well-being, flexibility, body balance and cognition. The abundance of improvements on a light and portable platform has great influence on the practicability of training in daily life, aiming to prevent slip trips and falls at work.