Little evidence that common workplace ergonomics help

An updated Cochrane review has found that ergonomic interventions show no meaningful benefit for pain, function, recovery or sick leave in workers with work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS), compared with no treatment.

CANS covers disorders that develop from repetitive movements, awkward postures or external forces such as vibrating tools. They significantly affect working populations worldwide.

Workplaces heavily invest in ergonomic interventions, such as office furniture changes and biomechanical or ergonomic education, to help office workers with CANS.

No clear benefit for pain, function or sick leave

Led by researchers from UTS, the review analysed 20 trials, 16 of which looked at non-specific CANS, involving a total of 2,478 people with work-related CANS. The participants included workers who frequently use computers in their job.

The review found that, compared with no treatment, usual care or placebo, ergonomic interventions may make little to no difference to short-term pain. They probably make little to no difference to functional status, sick leave or recovery.

Low-certainty evidence points to possible benefits for quality of life and health care use. Results were mixed, however, and one analysis showed a reduction in health care consumption while another showed little to no difference.

Overall, ergonomic approaches appear less effective than exercise, though small benefits may occur in specific subgroups, such as people with rotator cuff tendinitis.

“When we pooled the best available trials, ergonomic interventions made little to no difference to pain, function, recovery or sick leave compared with no treatment.

The certainty of that evidence ranges from low to moderate, so this is a clear signal that the case for these interventions is weaker than many people assume,” said Dr Poonam Mehta, lead author from UTS.

“We’d need more evidence to confirm this, as there is not much high-quality research in this area.”