COMPUTER USE AND NECK–SHOULDER PAIN

Computer use is an important cause of chronic neck and shoulder pain—right? Wrong, according to a study by Andersen et al in this month’s Journal.1 Their survey collected data on mouse and keyboard usage and weekly reports of neck–shoulder pain among 2146 technical assistants. Risk of short-term pain increased by 4% (neck) to 10% (shoulder) per quartile of weekly mouse usage time. However, mouse and keyboard use did not predict the onset of prolonged chronic pain and the authors comment that most computer users have no (or little) neck or shoulder pain, few experienced prolonged pain and even fewer developed a chronic …