Feasibility of a Smartphone-Based Exercise Program for Office Workers With Neck Pain: An Individualized Approach Using a Self-Classification Algorithm

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 98; no. 1; pp. 80 - 87
• Main Authors: Lee, Minyoung, Lee, Sang Heon, Kim, TaeYeong, Yoo, Hyun-Joon, Kim, Sung Hoon, Suh, Dong-Won, Son, Jaebum, Yoon, BumChul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Algorithms; Avoidance Learning; Disability Evaluation; Exercise Therapy; Feasibility Studies; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Mobile Applications; Neck pain; Neck Pain - classification; Neck Pain - rehabilitation; Pain Measurement; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Quality of Life; Range of Motion, Articular; Rehabilitation; Smartphone; Surveys and Questionnaires; Workplace; Neck pain; app; ROM; NDI; VAS; FABQ; Rehabilitation; Smartphone; SF-36; Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey; visual analog scale; application; Neck Disability Index; Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire; range of motion
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2016.09.002

To explore the feasibility of a newly developed smartphone-based exercise program with an embedded self-classification algorithm for office workers with neck pain, by examining its effect on the pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, fear avoidance, and cervical range of motion (ROM). Single-group, repeated-measures design. The laboratory and participants' home and work environments. Offices workers with neck pain (N=23; mean age ± SD, 28.13±2.97y; 13 men). Participants were classified as having 1 of 4 types of neck pain through a self-classification algorithm implemented as a smartphone application, and conducted corresponding exercise programs for 10 to 12min/d, 3d/wk, for 8 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and cervical ROM were measured at baseline and postintervention. The VAS (P<.001) and NDI score (P<.001) indicated significant improvements in pain intensity and functional disability. Quality of life showed significant improvements in the physical functioning (P=.007), bodily pain (P=.018), general health (P=.022), vitality (P=.046), and physical component scores (P=.002) of the SF-36. The FABQ, cervical ROM, and mental component score of the SF-36 showed no significant improvements. The smartphone-based exercise program with an embedded self-classification algorithm improves the pain intensity and perceived physical health of office workers with neck pain, although not enough to affect their mental and emotional states.