To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of musculoskeletal pain (MSK) pain in Korean farmers using initial survey data of Farmers' Cohort for Agricultural Work-Related MSK pain (FARM) study.
Farmers (534 females and 479 males; mean age 57.2±7.5 years) who owned or rented a farm and belonged to an agricultural cooperative unit were recruited. Presence of pain for each body part (neck, shoulder, arm/elbow, wrist/hand/finger, low back, leg/foot), and characteristics of MSK pain (prevalence, location, duration, severity, and frequency) during the last year was assessed. Additionally, demographic data such as farming duration, history of prior injury, and workload (low, moderate, somewhat hard, or hard) were collected using structured questionnaires.
Almost all subjects (n=925; 91.3%) complained of pain in more than one body part. The frequency order was low back (63.8%), leg/foot (43.3%), shoulder (42.9%), wrist/hand/finger (26.6%), arm/elbow (25.3%), and neck (21.8%). Low back pain was more frequent in those with over 30 years of farming experience (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.81). MSK pain was related to history of prior injury (OR, 2.18–5.24; p<0.05) in all body parts except for leg/foot, and very hard workload was associated with low back, leg/foot, neck, shoulder, and wrist/hand/finger pain (OR, 2.88–10.83; p<0.05).
Most Korean farmers experience MSK pain; furthermore, there is a significant association between pain, history of prior injury, and workload, suggestive of the necessity of coping and preventive strategies to reduce injury or workload.
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To compare the pain-reducing effect of forest bathing alone versus forest bathing in combination with stretching and strengthening exercises in patients with chronic posterior neck pain.
Sixty-four subjects with posterior neck pain that had lasted more than 3 months were enrolled. They were randomly divided into a forest bathing alone (FBA) group and a forest bathing with exercise (FBE) group; each group included 32 subjects. All subjects from both groups walked every morning in the forest for about 2 hours for 5 days. In the afternoon, the FBE group did a stretching and strengthening exercise for about 4 hours; the FBA group had free time in the woods. Visual analog scale (VAS) on one day, VAS over the previous week, neck disability index (NDI), EuroQol 5D-3L VAS (EQ VAS) and index (EQ index), McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), the number of trigger points in the posterior neck region (TRPs), and the range of motion of the cervical spine were evaluated on the first and last day of the program and compared between the two groups.
The number of TRPs were significantly reduced in the FBE group compared with the FBA group (p=0.013). However, the other scales showed no significant difference between the two groups.
When patients with chronic posterior neck pain underwent a short-term forest bathing (less than 7 days) program, FBE was more effective in the reduction of the number of TRPs than FBA. However, all other pain measurement scales we evaluated showed no statistically significant difference between the two protocols.
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To evaluate the effect of custom-molded foot orthoses on foot pain and balance in children with symptomatic flexible flat foot 1 month and 3 months after fitting foot orthosis.
A total of 24 children over 6 years old with flexible flat feet and foot pain for at least 6 months were recruited for this study. Their resting calcaneal stance position and calcaneal pitch angle were measured. Individual custom-molded rigid foot orthoses were prescribed using inverted orthotic technique to control foot overpronation. Pain questionnaire was used to obtain pain sites, degree, and frequency. Balancing ability was determined using computerized posturography. These evaluations were performed prior to custom-molded foot orthoses, 1 month, and 3 months after fitting foot orthoses.
Of 24 children with symptomatic flexible flat feet recruited for this study, 20 completed the study. Significant (p<0.001) improvements in pain degree and frequency were noted after 1 and 3 months of custom-molded foot orthoses. In addition, significant (p<0.05) improvement in balancing ability was found after 3 months of custom-molded foot orthoses.
Short-term use of custom-molded foot orthoses significantly improved foot pain and balancing ability in children with symptomatic flexible flat foot.
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To apply tailored rehabilitation education to video display terminal (VDT) workers with musculoskeletal pain and to assess changes in musculoskeletal pain after rehabilitation education.
A total of 8,828 VDT workers were screened for musculoskeletal disorders using a self-report questionnaire. Six hundred twenty-six VDT workers selected based on their questionnaires were enrolled in musculoskeletal rehabilitation education, which consisted of education on VDT syndrome and confirmed diseases, exercise therapy including self-stretching and strengthening, and posture correction. One year later, a follow-up screening survey was performed on 316 VDT workers, and the results were compared with the previous data.
Compared with the initial survey, pain intensity was significantly decreased in the neck area; pain duration and frequency were significantly decreased in the low back area; and pain duration, intensity, and frequency were significantly decreased in the shoulder and wrist after tailored rehabilitation education. In addition, pain duration, intensity, and frequency showed a greater significant decrease after tailored rehabilitation education in the mild pain group than in the severe pain group.
This study found that work-related musculoskeletal pain was reduced after tailored rehabilitation education, especially in the shoulder, wrist, and low back.
Citations
To evaluate the effect of custom molded foot orthoses on children with growing pains of the lower extremities.
Children with growing pains were recruited during a clinic visit. None had any bony deformities, inflammatory joint disease or depression. Resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP) and calcaneal pitch angle were measured, and individual custom molded rigid foot orthoses were prescribed using the inverted orthotic technique to control for foot overpronation using the RCSP angle. Pain sites, degree and frequency of pain, and balance ability were evaluated using Balance Master computerized posturography prior to foot orthosis fitting, and 1 and 3 months later.
Twenty children completed the study. Seventeen (75%) had overpronated feet. Significant improvements were noted after 1 and 3 months in pain degree and frequency, and after 3 months in balancing ability.
The use of custom molded foot orthoses is a good method for treating children with multiple musculoskeletal pains in the leg.
Citations
Method: From April 2006 to August 2007, we operated a mobile clinic equipped with a physical therapy unit during the professional golf competition. For professional golfers who had visited the clinic during this period of time, we investigated distribution of pain and its characteristics through interviews and medical records. Results: A total of 118 professional golfers visited the mobile clinic during the service period. The analysis of pain distribution showed that spine (56.3%) including low back, cervical, thoracic spine was the most common area of pain complaints, followed by upper extremity (33.1%), lower extremity (9.1%) in order. Based on the detailed anatomical distribution, low back was the most common pain site (22.5%). In case of the upper extremity pain group, left side pain was more prevalent than that of right side. Compared with spine pain group, upper extremity pain group was significantly older and also had more professional career (p＜0.05). This implies that upper extremity injury may relatively caused from repetitive stress of golf swing. Conclusion: The results imply that golf imposes a relatively high burden on spine and upper extremity in professional golfers. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2008; 32: 206-210)
Objective: To investigate the prevalence and contributing factor of musculoskeletal pain in preadolescent children.
Method: Four hundreds and four primary school students without history of trauma or serious medical conditions were investigated. Self-reported questionnaire and physical examination were done.
Results: One-week and 1-year overall pain prevalence were 25.9% and 33.7%, respectively. Prevalence of wide spread pain (WSP) was 7.2% and that of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) was 7.9%. Prevalence of overall pain and MPS was
higher in the 6th grade students than the 4th grade. WSP was more frequent in girls than boys. Joint hypermobility, physical fitness, body mass index and life style including computer use, regular exercise and satisfaction to desk-chair did not affect pain prevalence.
Conclusion: Musculoskeletal pain was common in preadolescent children. Age and sex rather than physical state or life style seem to be the contributing factors to pain prev- alence. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2002; 26: 26-31)
Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of prolotherapy in relieving the pain of patients with tendon or ligament laxity.
Method: The subjects were 67 patients (40 male, 27 female) who were suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain, excluding those with metabolic diseases that could influence the nature of the pain. The effect of the treatment was evaluated by checking the VAS score after a monthly injection of 15% dextrose solution injected around the patient's ligaments and teno-osseous junction that were suspicious of laxity. This same procedure was followed after a second injection. To make an accurate evaluation before and after the treatment, the use of NSAID, physical therapy or exercise therapy was prohibited.
Results: The mean pain duration of the subjects was 5.48⁑7.04 years, and the mean age of the subjects was 49.58⁑16.52 years. The result from VAS showed a statistically remarkable reduction after the injection (p＜0.01). The VAS decreased from 7.00⁑0.17 to 4.31⁑0.21 after the first injection and this score further decreased to 2.55⁑0.19 after the second injection. There was no statistically significant relationship between the duration of pain and the effect of the treatment (p＞0.05).
Conclusion: This research demonstrated that prolotherapy is an effective method in treating patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain caused by tendon or ligament relaxation.
The McGill Pain Questionnaire consists primarily of 3 major classes in word descriptors-sensory, affective and evaluative-and is used in the studies of clinical and experimental pain. The purpose of the study is to analyze characteristics of the central pain in patients with spinal cord injury and to compare with the musculosleletal pain using McGill Pain Questionnaire(MPQ) Korean version.
The subjects of this study were ninety-nine patients with spinal cord injury who were admitted to Ajou University Hospital or registered with other social agencies, and thirty patients with musculoskeletal pain who were treated at the rehabilitation medicine out patient clinic of Ajou University Hospital. Central pain had significantly higher sensory, miscellaneous and total scores of MPQ Korean version than the musculoskeletal pain. There were no correlations between visual analogue scale and each dimension of MPQ Korean version except evaluative dimension in central pain. Central pain had significantly higher scores than musculoskeletal pain in subclasses such as spatial, punctate, incisive, thermal and coldness. The most frequently chosen words were "radiating"(46%) in central pain and "throbbing"(32%) in musculoskeletal pain of all subjects.
In conclusion, the central pain has no difference in pain intensity but shows bizzare and diverse character compared with the musculoskeletal pain. Authors suggest that MPQ Korean version can be an useful measuring tool for the evaluation and the follow up of the central pain of spinal origin.
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