Gut and Liver (Nov 2023)

Rehabilitation Program for Improved Musculoskeletal Pain in Gastrointestinal Endoscopists: Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

  • Su Youn Nam,
  • Kwangwoo Nam,
  • Ki-Nam Shim,
  • Seoyon Yang,
  • Chung Hyun Tae,
  • Junwoo Jo,
  • Nayoung Kim,
  • Seon Mi Park,
  • Young Sook Park,
  • Seun Ja Park,
  • Sung-Ae Jung

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl220103
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 6
pp. 853 – 862

Abstract

Read online

Background/Aims: This study aimed to develop a rehabilitation program for musculoskeletal pain experienced by gastrointestinal endoscopists and to investigate its usefulness.Methods: This was a multicenter cohort study. During the first 2 weeks, a questionnaire regarding daily workload and musculoskeletal symptoms was administered. Then, a rehabilitation program including equipment/posture correction and stretching was conducted during the remaining 6 weeks. Follow-up daily workload and musculoskeletal symptom surveys were distributed during the last 2 weeks. The program satisfaction survey was performed at the 6th and 8th weeks.Results: Among 118 participants (69 men), 94% (n=111) complained of musculoskeletal pain at baseline. Various hospital activities at baseline were associated with multisite musculoskeletal pain, whereas only a few workloads were correlated with musculoskeletal pain after the rehabilitation program. Follow-up musculoskeletal pain was negatively correlated with equipment/posture program performance; arm/elbow pain was negatively correlated with elbow (R=–0.307) and wrist (R=–0.205) posture; leg/foot pain was negatively correlated with monitor position, shoulder, elbow, wrist, leg, and foot posture. Higher performance in the scope position (86.8% in the improvement vs 71.3% in the aggravation group, p=0.054) and table height (94.1% vs 79.1%, p=0.054) were associated with pain improvement. An increased number of colonoscopy procedures (6.27 in the aggravation vs 0.02 in the improvement group, p=0.017) was associated with pain aggravation. Most participants reported being average (32%) or satisfied (67%) with the program at the end of the study.Conclusions: Our rehabilitation program is easily applicable, satisfactory, and helpful for improving the musculoskeletal pain experienced by gastrointestinal endoscopists.

Keywords