Sule Simsek, Ozlem Senocale
ABSTRACT Objectives: To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems as well as the relationship between neck and shoulder pain and possible risk factors among medical secretaries. Materials and Methods: 126 medical secretaries (mean age was 32.88.05 years) included in this study. Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to analyse musculoskeletal symptoms. Work related factors are collected from mutual interview. Within the ergonomic assessment, work posture was examined by a physiotherapist with an observation of 10 minutes. Results: 14 participants (11%) were male and 112 participants (89%) were female. According to NMQ, the incidence of neck pain was 65.9 %, whereas the incidence of shoulder pain was 59.5 %. The risk of neck and shoulder pain is increasing significantly in individuals who use computer more than 5 hours during the day. There was significant relation between non-ergonomical work posture and neck and shoulder pain. Conclusion: Medical secretaries are one of the professions in the high risk group for neck and shoulder pain. It is important to make work posture and work environment proper for ergonomics. Keywords: Medical secretary; Work Related Musculoskeletal Problems; Pain.