What is it about?
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are often referred to as physical and biochemical insults to individual or groups of muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments, or to any other body parts that support the back, neck or limbs [1]. Swelling and varying levels of discomfort are the major consequences of MSDs that profoundly affect one’s normal routine. MSDs are relatively widespread among individuals who experience substantial bio-mechanical loads, like those in factory jobs and manufacturing, but also among those who do not experience such loads, like office workers [1–3]. Despite the lack of biomechanical forces, the development of MSDs is frequently noticed among individuals with a sedentary working and personal life style, particularly if they have inadequate amounts of physical activity as compared to ‘active’ individuals. In line with this, the incidence of MSDs among office workers has recently become higher in this large section of the workforce [4]. Detecting and monitoring MSDs within a specific population demands accurate and reliable methods of measurement. To date, qualitative and semiquantitative measurements, namely questionnaires and utilization of instruments like the goniometer to gauge the range of motion, are commonly used to assess MSDs [5, 6]. The questionnaire method is preferred in epidemiological research [7], where large numbers of participants are involved, and it is also cost effective [8]. However, lack of measurement reliability with regard to the Cornell questionnaire, Borg scale and goniometer [9, 10] have been cited. In the present study, the reliability of the Cornell questionnaire (musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire), the Borg scale (perceived exertion) and goniometer (measure the range of motion) were evaluated and compared, since these are the tools most commonly utilized by occupational therapists. We hypothesize that there is a high reliability for the Borg scale, the Cornell questionnaire and the goniometer and that these are three reliable instruments to measure the severity of pain among office workers.
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Why is it important?
The accuracy of instruments such as questionnaires and the goniometer are critical for measuring the severity of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers.
Perspectives
The implication of this research is that the CMDQ is a sufficiently reliable and valid method for evaluating different areas of musculoskeletal discomfort with different severities of pain. This test is suitable for use in medical studies where the initial focus of the research relates to the levels, frequency and duration of pain and musculoskeletal discomfort. Nonetheless, the potential for over-estimating problems remains high in a self-assessment context, so specific attention should be paid to the methods used to categorize people as active or inactive in a clinical context. Additional analysis and validation may be needed in the future for the CMDQ to be considered as a totally validated instrument for data collection in other studies.
Dr Ardalan Shariat
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Comparative reliability of different instruments used to measure the severity of musculoskeletal disorders in office workers, Work, July 2016, IOS Press,
DOI: 10.3233/wor-162313.
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