Effectiveness of EMG Biofeedback Training for the Management of Work Related Neck Pain Among Dental Professionals

newline newlineABSTRACT newlineBackground: Dental professionals are prone for getting work related newlinemusculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in the areas of back, neck and shoulder. newlineThe switching of stand-up dentistry to a seated practice has increased the newlineoccurrences of neck and shoulder discomfort than the lower back. Thus, the newlinefocus of most studies seemed to concentrate on the upper trapezius area and the newlinephysical therapy management of work related neck pain was to give only the newlinepassive electro physical agents and exercises. Biofeedback is a new mode of newlinetreatment for the management of WMSDs and the purpose of this study is to find newlineout whether the use of EMG biofeedback training in dental professionals can newlinereduce the upper trapezius muscle tension and would be effective in reducing newlinework related neck pain among the dental professionals. newlineObjectives: To find out the effectiveness of surface electromyography (EMG) newlinebiofeedback training when added with conventional physiotherapy treatments and newlineto compare its effectiveness with conventional physiotherapy treatments alone in newlinethe management of work related neck pain among the dental professionals. newlineMethods: The study design was a Randomized Controlled study. A total newlinepopulation of 138 subjects who were having work related neck pain were newlinerandomly and equally allocated to any one of the 2 groups: Group 1, the newlineexperimental group received EMG biofeedback training with conventional newlinephysiotherapy and Group 2, as the control who received only conventional newlinephysiotherapy management. The outcome tools used to evaluate the effect of the newlinetreatment were; Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and newlineSurface EMG readings. The variables data collected were analyzed and newlinecompared statistically among and between the groups. newlineVII newlineResults: To find out the statistical results, the data were analyzed by multiple newlinestatistical tests by using the SPSS software (IBM SPSS Version 21.0). newlineParametric analysis tools were used for the normally distributed data, and newlinenonparametric analysis tools were us