Systematic Work Environment Model Incorporating Web-based Neck-specific Exercise for Dental Staff With Neck Pain

Summary

The aim of study; WorkCIT is to investigate whether managerial support in using systematic work environment evaluation and adjustment (SWEA) with/without additional 3 month web-based NSEs with four visits to a physiotherapist is effective in promoting reduced neck pain and disability among dental health care professionals (DHCP) with work-related neck pain (WRNP).

The aim of the subgroup studies is to investigate biomarkers and tissue changes and the association with pain, work ability, and other outcomes before and after SWEA with or without NSEs. Furthermore, to investigate dental staff experiences with the interventions and their impact on work ability, health and their work situation, and investigate managers experience of SWEA with support from the Prehab guide and workshops.

The hypothesis is that a combined effort with SWEA to promote the work situation together with NSEs will reduce neck pain intensity and improve work ability to a greater extent than the SWEA only.

Methods and analysis: This is a prospective, longitudinal, randomised, controlled multi-centre trial with two parallel treatment arms and blinded investigators conducted according to a detailed protocol following the guidelines in the CONSORT checklist. A total of 240 DHCP with WRNP will be recruited. The main outcome is neck pain intensity. Secondary outcomes are work ability, function, health-related quality of life, work absenteeism, work-related factors, and work adjustments made. Cost-effectiveness will be studied from a societal perspective if significant differences appear between randomization groups regarding health-related quality of life and will in that case be reported in a separate paper. To improve diagnostics and help assess the effectiveness of intervention biochemical sub-group studies will be performed before and after intervention to investigate pain related biomarkers. Interviews with a sub-group of participants and managers will be performed regarding work-ability, work adjustments and experiences of interventions.

Conditions

• Workplace
• Neck Pain
• Exercise

Interventions

OTHER

SWEA

Managers with one or several l staff experiencing WRNP will be educated in the Prehab guide. The manager should read and listen to all modules and a 1-h lecture recorded by the research team before participating in two workshops (4 h each), together with other managers and an experienced expert in work environmental health and rehabilitation. In the workshops, different themes will be discussed, such as physical, psychological, and organisational work-related health, prevention, and rehabilitation, how to lead problem-solving dialogue, how work-related adaptations can be performed related to WRNP, and questions about the Prehab guide. The Prehab guide will be used to deliver managerial support in the work with the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations regarding SWEA and the prevention of ill health, sick leave, and accidents, work adaptations, and workplace-oriented rehabilitation.

OTHER

Neck-specific exercise

NSEs will be performed based on a well-structured framework of evidence-based exercises for facilitation of deep neck muscles, improved interaction between the different muscle layers of the neck, increased neck muscle endurance, and improved postural control .

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ostergotland County Council, Sweden

  collaborator OTHER

• Lund University

  collaborator OTHER

• Karlstad University

  collaborator OTHER

• The University of Queensland

  collaborator OTHER

• Sormland County Council, Sweden

  collaborator OTHER

• Linkoeping University

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Anneli Peolsson, Prof., PhD · Linkoeping University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-01-09

Primary Completion

2025-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31