Are ergonomic interventions effective in reducing pain and dysfunction in sonography

Abstract

Introduction Two potentially career ending injuries were reported in sonographers from work practices in the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) in 2015. A subsequent Health and Safety investigation revealed that 95% of sonographers had musculoskeletal pain they attributed to work and 85% reported upper limb pain, data which was comparable to global trends. According to the literature, one in five sonographers will suffer from a career ending injury and around 80-90% of sonographers scan in pain. The most commonly reported area of pain is the right shoulder. There appears to be a paucity of high quality studies investigating potential solutions despite multiple surveys detailing the health problem. Methods A systematic review, registered with PROSPERO1, was conducted as part of higher research degree. Results Initial literature searches identified very few studies involving sonography populations. To gain further data, the review authors decided to include studies from other health professional occupations with similar postural upper limb workloads that show comparable upper limb musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction data. The comprehensive literature search yielded 26 full paper publications from 1526 potential articles after abstract and full text screening. Included studies researched the effect of an ergonomic intervention on upper limb pain in sonographers, or other health professional occupations with related postural upper limb workloads such as dentists or surgeons. Environmental ergonomic interventions were the most commonly studied for their effect on reducing upper limb pain. Currently, data on the impact of administrative and individual ergonomic interventions in the relevant populations is lacking. No meta -analysis was performed due to the heterogeneity of the studies. Conclusion Only 2 of 26 articles featured sonographers as a population, highlighting the urgent need for more robust clinical trials in this high risk occupation. 1. ‘The effectiveness of ergonomic interventions in reducing upper limb work- related musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in sonographers and other health professions with related postural upper limb workloads. A systematic review.