Philosophy And Muscle Mechanics In Human-Chair-Computer Interaction; Disorders Preventive Approach

Innovation and technical change often do produce workplace pain [1]. Looked at from a medical perspective this is not a new phenomenon. As long ago as 1685 Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, the father of modem biomechanics stated: "muscular tensions inevitably have to be involved in holding posture"[2]. And in 1700 Bernardo Ramazzini, the father of occupational medicine observed about neck and shoulder complaints in clerks "Yet tis certain that in each City and Town vast Numbers of Persons earn their Bread by writing. The Diseases of Persons incident t o that Craft arise from three Causes: First, constant Sitting, secondly the perpetual Motion of the Hand in the same Manner, and thirdly, the Attention and Application of the Mind"[3]. These great minds came to these truths purely as a consequence of observing, palpating, and inspecting. In their day there were no tools for objective measurement. In recent times space medicine has given important insights into the significance and effect of gravity on the human musculoskeletal system, a number of devices have been developed to gain better understanding of how muscles function, and it has been established that sitting for long time is in itself a risk factor for developing neck pain.