Thesis (M.Tech.:Chiropractic)-Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xii, [137] leaves / Musculoskeletal injuries in computer users are an increasing concern. The computer has become an essential working tool that is used throughout all levels of companies and organisations. Management and professional personnel are required to use computers, often without training in typing skills, this combined with higher stress and responsibility levels and lengthy work hours. Potentially this makes them a high-risk group for work related injury. Previous research has focused mainly on data entry and secretarial workers, who are often competent in typing and keyboard skills. There is an increasing body of literature that implicates a wide variety of factors responsible for computer and office related musculoskeletal injury, however there is still much conflict as to what factors play the most influential role in development of these disorders. Conflict largely remains over the role of individual and constitutional factors versus workplace factors such as ergonomic design and patterns of computer use. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence of and related risk factors associated with work related musculoskeletal injuries of the neck and shoulder in non-secretarial computer users within the South African context.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Pereira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T12:49:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Goncalo_CamiladaSilva_M.pdf: 4519260 bytes, checksum: 60a5353583bad0f0345b3dc75076de2a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Considerada atualmente como uma importante tecnologia de saúde especialmente nos casos em que a terapêutica convencional não proporciona resultados satisfatórios, a acupuntura tem demonstrado efetiva redução da dor no tratamento das desordens oromiofaciais, cefaléias e cervicalgias. Neste contexto, três capítulos compuseram o presente estudo. No primeiro capítulo foi conduzida uma revisão de literatura para a compilação sistemática de pontos acupunturais localizados em áreas do corpo humano passíveis de punção durante o atendimento clínico do paciente na cadeira odontológica. Foram encontrados 142 acupontos diretamente relacionados com as principais afecções ligadas à prática da odontologia, além dos pontos auriculares mais freqüentemente empregados neste contexto. No segundo capítulo, foram apresentadas observações clínicas sobre a eficácia do uso da acupuntura e auriculoterapia como recurso terapêutico aplicado à odontologia. Nesta segunda revisão da literatura, 09 tipos de acomentimentos bucofaciais tratados por meio das terapias supracitadas foram encontrados e organizados sistematicamente de acordo com: o tipo de afecção, tratamento acupuntural empregado e resultados obtidos. No terceiro capítulo, foi realizado um estudo clínico sobre o uso da acupuntura e auriculopressão no tratamento de pacientes adultos com cervicalgia crônica, atendidos em um serviço público de atenção primária à saúde, localizado no sul da Espanha. Foi constatada a redução significante da intensidade da dor, do consumo de analgésicos, da incapacidade e das desordens do sono causadas por dor (p< 0, 0001). / Abstract: Currently considered an important technology in health, especially in cases where conventional therapy does not provide satisfactory results, acupuncture has demonstrated effective reduction of pain in the treatment of oromyofaciais disorders, headaches and neck pain. In this context three chapters were included in this study. In the first chapter it was conducted a review of the literature for the systematic compilation of acupuncture points located in the human body áreas that could be punctured on the dental chair during the clinical care of patients. It was found 142 acupoints directly related to the main diseases linked to the practice of dentistry, and ear points most frequently used in this context. In the second chapter, were presented clinical observations about efficacy of acupuncture use and auriculotherapy as a treatment applied to dentistry. In this second review of the literature, 09 types of involvement bucomaxilofacial treated with the therapies cited above were systematically organized according to: the type of disease, acupunctural treatment employed and outcomes. In the third chapter, we present a study on the clinical use of acupuncture and auriculopressure in the treatment of adult patients with chronic neck pain attended in a public primary health care service located in southern Spain. A significant reduction was found in the pain intensity, analgesic consumption, disability and sleep disorders caused by pain (p<0.0001). / Mestrado / Saude Coletiva / Mestre em Odontologia

A dissertation presented to in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Technikon Natal, 1996. / The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of adjustments versus mobilisation in the treatment of mechanical neck pain. It was hypothesized that treatment with adjustments over a three week period, with a further three week follow-up period, would be more effective than mobilisation in terms of improving the patients' cervical ranges of motion and their perceptions of pain and disability. / M

Background: Neck pain has a prevalence at 15-30 % in diffrent populations with diffrent causes like whiplash or tension in the muscle. It has proven a positive association between reduced pain and inhibiting the endorphin systems with physical activity. No recent review has been made since 2015, so there was a need to compile recent studies in the field.  Objective: Searches for litterature were made in the databses PubMed, PEDro and CINAHL to find randomized controlled studied that investigated strengthening training of the neck and the thoracal part of the back in persons with neckpain. All of the included articles were appraised by the PEDro-scale and the level of reliability was graded using GRADEstud.  Results: Six studies were included in this review with 382 participants. In one of six studies a significant between group diffrence was seen, the results should be discussed according to the studie's diffrent intervention/control groups. Three studies showed high quality and three showed moderate quality according to PEDro-scale. The grading in evidence showed that strengthening training of the neck and the thoracic back as treament for neckapin has a high level of evidence (++) to not reduce pain according to GRADEstud. The variation in population and time resulted in point deduction for lack of precision.  Conclusion: The results shows that strengthening training of the neck and the thoracic back does not reduce neckpain. Only one of six studied could show a significant between group diffrence. According to GRADEstud a high level of evidence is shown that the treatment dose not give effekt. The results of this study should be drawn with caution due to a low number of studies and the lack of precision in the interventions.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for neck pain in the white population in the greater Durban area. The rational for this study was that there have been few epidemiological studies done on neck pain and even less when concerning different population groups. Discrepancies between population groups have been found in various pain related studies. The present epidemiological study eliminated any possible variables between population groups by studying only the white population in a specific geographical area (Durban). Therefore, physicians treating people with neck pain should use the risk factors that were established in this and other studies and integrate them in their treatment protocol. The study was conducted at three shopping centres around Durban that were randomly selected. Each shopping centre was grouped by the socio-economic status of the surrounding suburbs. There were 900 participants surveyed at three shopping centres by means of a questionnaire. The data were then statistically analysed using SPSS version 15. It was found that the overall prevalence of neck pain was 45%. The participants in this study that had neck pain were more likely to be females that were married or previously married, had a job that caused their heads to turn or to work with their arms above their heads. Lifestyle factors included one or a combination of the following: lead a stressful lifestyle, were emotional, had perceived bad posture, had previously experienced neck or head trauma, slept in awkward positions, watched television, required glasses and did not play squash.

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic Durban University of Technology, 2013. / Background : Chronic non-specific neck pain is a common condition that negatively affects cervical muscle functioning and activities of daily living. Combined exercise and mobilisation are currently recommended as the most effective treatment for this condition. Mobilisation, such as mobilisation of the cervical spine, provides short-term pain relief and affects neural activity, while the craniocervical flexion exercise provides immediate pain relief and activates the deep cervical flexors. The short-term effect of mobilisation and the craniocervical flexion exercise have not been compared. Objectives : This study aimed to compare mobilisation and craniocervical flexion exercise in terms of subjective and objective outcome measures at a short-term follow-up consultation for the treatment of chronic non-specific neck pain. The null-hypothesis was that the mobilisation group would not respond differently to the craniocervical flexion exercise group. Method : A group of thirty females between the ages of 20 and 35 complaining of non-specific neck pain for more than three months were randomly allocated into either the mobilisation or craniocervical flexion exercise groups. During the first two consultations, a mobilisation was administered to the mobilisation group. Whereas the craniocervical flexion exercise and a posture correcting exercise were taught to the participants of the craniocervical flexion exercise group. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire, cervical range of motion and algometer readings were taken at each of the three consultations. The Patient Global Impression of Change Scale was administered at the last consultation one week after the first consultation. Results : Both the mobilisation and craniocervical flexion exercise groups showed significant improvements in all of the subjective outcomes. The Neck Disability Index score of the craniocervical flexion exercise group was the only subjective outcome that did not decrease enough to be considered clinically significant. The PGIC score of the mobilisation group was slightly higher than that of the craniocervical flexion exercise group. There was no statistically significant improvement in the objective outcomes of either group. All ranges of motion decreased in both groups, while pain pressure threshold improved in both groups. There was no significant difference between the results of the subjective and objective outcomes of the mobilisation and craniocervical flexion exercise groups. Conclusions and recommendations : The two interventions were found to have a similar effect in the treatment of chronic non-specific neck pain in terms of subjective and objective outcome measures. Participants of both groups indicated on the subjective scales that their conditions improved, even though objective outcomes showed no significant change. In future studies, a larger sample size should be used and the sample should be stratified for ethnicity to increase validity of the results.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic) -Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2002 xiii, 93 leaves / The purpose of this study was to determine the short to medium term effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitaion (P.N.F.) stretching [using the Contract- Relax-Antagonist-Contract (C.R.A.C.) technique] as an adjunct treatment to cervical manipulation in the treatment of Mechanical Neck Pain.

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health in compliance with the requirements for a Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic at Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 / Due to sustained partial neck flexion when operating a computer terminal for prolonged periods and by holding a stooped posture being proposed aetiologies for hypertonic posterior cervical muscles and subsequent mechanical neck pain, subjects for this research study were chosen according to their occupation and had to sit at a desk for more the three hours and less than eight hours a day. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combined with heat therapy as opposed to proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combined with cryotherapy in the treatment of mechanical neck pain caused by hypertonic posterior cervical muscles. This was a comparative, randomised, clinical trial consisting of two groups. Group A received proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) combined with heat therapy as their treatment protocol. Group B received proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combined with cryotherapy as their treatment protocol. Each group consisted of thirty people between the ages of 25 and 50 who were randomly allocated to their respective groups. It was hypothesized that the analgesic properties related to cryotherapy would result in the treatment group that received PNF stretching combined with cryotherapy yielding better results in terms of objective clinical findings. It was also hypothesized that the therapeutic effects of heat therapy would result in the treatment group receiving PNF stretching combined with heat therapy would yield better results in terms of subjective clinical findings and it is hypothesized that there is an association between the subjective and objective clinical findings between the cryotherapy and the heat therapy groups. The treatment regimen consisted of each participant receiving three treatments over a period of one week and then a one-week follow-up consultation. Subjective data monitored consisted of the Numerical Pain Rating Scale –101 (NRS-101) and the CMCC Neck Disability index. Objective data was collected using the Cervical Range of Motion goniometer (CROM) and the Algometer. At the end of all treatment protocols, statistical (quantitative) analysis was performed to determine whether one treatment protocol was more effective than the other. The analysis of the data collected showed that for all outcomes measured, either of the two treatments was effective overall. Trends suggested optimum treatments were dependent on the age of the patient. Age groups of 46-50 years old, 41-45 years old and the 31-35 years old responded best and improved the most with heat intervention, while age group of 36-40 years old responded best to the cryotherapy intervention. For the youngest age group of 25-30 years old, it did not make a difference whether they received heat therapy or cryotherapy as an intervention. It would seem that the older the patient the more effective the application of heat therapy as a result of the effect of heat therapy on the collagen and elastin fibers within the muscle and its fascia which allowed for increased and sustained improvement of the majority of the age groups represented in this study. Conversely it would seem that the cryotherapy group had only immediate and unsustained effects in the long term, which suggests that the cryotherapy had only a pain relieving function that allowed for the improvement of patients in the study, which when removed resulted in regression to the initial clinical syndrome severity. Most of the outcomes did not show a statistically significant interaction between time, age group and treatment group. The study was underpowered at the age group level, with only 12 subjects per age group. Further studies with a larger sample size in each of the age groups are needed in order to determine whether age is a definitive factor in one treatment being preferred over the other.

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / Background : A lack of peaceful sleep and adequate neck support during sleep has been described as a significant contributing factor to the development of chronic non-specific neck pain. Health-care practitioners often prescribe a cervical pillow for the treatment of chronic non-specific neck pain despite the ambivalent findings of several studies. Recently Simmons South Africa introduced the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow which it claims is able to support the cervical spine and promotes a restful sleep. This study, therefore, set out to determine the potential of the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow in alleviating chronic non-specific neck pain. Objective : This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow compared to the participant’s usual pillow (the control) in terms of objective and subjective findings in the management of chronic non-specific neck pain. Methods : Forty individuals, aged 18 to 45 years of age, experiencing chronic non-specific neck pain were recruited via convenience sampling. The study was a single-blinded, cross-over interventional study. All participants underwent a case history, physical and cervical orthopedic examination. Objective (algometer and Cervical Range of Motion measurements) and subjective (Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index, Sleep and pain diary) outcome measures were obtained at each of the five consultations over a four week period, with the cross-over occurring after two weeks. SPSS version 18.0 was used to analyze the data. Demographic data was analyzed using the Chi square tests and t-tests. The consultations were averaged for each phase of the cross over design to result in a two treatment, two period cross over design. Repeated measures ANOVA testing was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on subjective and objective measurement according to the method of Dallal (Esterhuizen, 2011). The sleep and pain diary data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Wald chi square test. Results : A significant difference in the perceived comfort levels between the two pillows (p < 0.001) was observed with the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow having a higher comfort rating. A significant decrease in NRS scores (p = 0.018); NDI scores (p < 0.001); and NRS scores on awakening (p < 0.001); neck stiffness rating on awakening (p < 0.00); headache rating on awakening (p = 0.043) was observed in relation to the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow. A significant improvement (p = 0.001) in algometer readings was observed when using the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow when compared to participants usual pillow. A significant increase in mean right lateral flexion measurements was observed in both groups when using the Simmons Beautyrest® pillow (p = Conclusions : The Simmons Beautyrest® pillow was effective in improving chronic non-specific neck pain. It was regarded as comfortable and provided relief with regards to the clinical features of non-specific neck pain. / Simmons South Africa Company

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Technikon Natal, 1998. / Mechanical neck pain is an extremely common condition. At any specific time, as many as 12% of the adult female population and 9% of the adult male population experience pain in the neck, with or without associated arm pain, and 35% of people can recall an episode of previous neck pain (Bland 1994:3). However, to date little research has been conducted to investigate which treatment protocolIs may be the most effective in the management of mechanical neck pain syndromes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the combination of chiropractic manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would be more effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain than chiropractic manipulative therapy alone. It was hypothesized that chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and the combination of chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would both be effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain. Moreover, with reference to objective and subjective clinical findings, it was hypothesized that the combination of chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would be more effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain than chiropracic manipulative therapy alone. / M