Abstract

Introduction. office workers tend to have a forward head and shoulder posture during prolonged use of a computer, which can develop into neck pain owing to the imbalance of neck and shoulder muscles. The aim of this study was to evaluate neck and scapular muscle imbalance including the muscle length and strength among male office workers. Methods. overall, 72 male office workers aged 20–45 years were recruited for this study. There were 34 participants in the neck pain group and 38 participants in the asymptomatic group. The study was conducted through a self-report questionnaire including demographic data and work characteristics, and a test on neck and shoulder muscle length and strength performed by means of passive movement and a hand-held dynamometer, respectively. Results. office workers with neck pain demonstrated a significantly longer duration of computer use than workers without neck pain (6.50 ± 1.78 hours) (p = 0.016) and less strength in the neck flexor (0.154 ± 0.051 kg/body weight [BW]) (p = 0.017), in the neck extensor (0.183 ± 0.044 kg/BW) (p = 0.029), and on both sides of the serratus anterior muscles (0.233 ± 0.079 and 0.234 ± 0.063 kg/BW) (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in muscle length between the groups. Conclusions. The study indicated that male office workers with neck pain had a greater imbalance in the neck and shoulder muscles than asymptomatic office workers. Specific treatment for neck pain should be considered to promote muscle balance among male office workers.