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Changes in stiffness of the dorsal scapular muscles before and after computer work: a comparison between individuals with and without neck and shoulder complaints

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the stiffness of the dorsal scapular muscles before and after computer work between individuals with and without neck and shoulder complaints.

Methods

Thirty subjects were divided into patient (n = 18) and control (n = 12) groups. The stiffness of the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and rhomboid major was measured using ultrasound elastography before and after a 30-min typing task. The strain ratio of the muscle to an acoustic coupler was calculated (a lower strain ratio value indicates greater muscle stiffness).

Results

At baseline, the strain ratio of the upper trapezius in the patient group (3.762 ± 1.679) (mean ± SD) was significantly lower than that of the control group (7.763 ± 5.921) (p = 0.041). No significant change in the strain ratio of the upper trapezius after the typing task was observed in the patient group (4.158 ± 3.465) (p = 0.549). A significant decrease in the strain ratio of the levator scapulae after the typing task was observed in the patient group (before: 9.006 ± 7.079, after: 5.718 ± 2.847) (p = 0.022), whereas there was no significant change in the control group (p = 0.436).

Conclusions

The increase in stiffness of the upper trapezius is an objective finding and may be a persistently altered condition in individuals with neck and shoulder complaints. The patterns of change in stiffness of the levator scapulae are different between individuals with and without neck and shoulder complaints.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ARFI:

Acoustic radiation force impulse

BMI:

Body mass index

EMG:

Electromyographic

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

MRE:

Magnetic resonance elastography

ROI:

Region of interest

RTE:

Real-time tissue elastography

SD:

Standard deviation

VAS:

Visual analog scale

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Acknowledgements

We are deeply grateful to staff of Hitachi Aloka Medical Japan for skillful technical assistance. We had no financial support for the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan

    Hiroaki Ishikawa, Takayuki Muraki, Shuhei Morise, Yusuke Sekiguchi & Shin-Ichi Izumi

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan

    Nobuyuki Yamamoto & Eiji Itoi

Authors
  1. Hiroaki Ishikawa
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  2. Takayuki Muraki
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  3. Shuhei Morise
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  7. Shin-Ichi Izumi
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Correspondence to Hiroaki Ishikawa.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Communicated by Benedicte Schepens.

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Ishikawa, H., Muraki, T., Morise, S. et al. Changes in stiffness of the dorsal scapular muscles before and after computer work: a comparison between individuals with and without neck and shoulder complaints. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 179–187 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3510-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3510-z

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