JS-15 Effects of Inserting Stretch Breaks on Neck/Upper Limb Movements for Endoscopy Assistants

This study examined the effects of inserting stretching exercises targeting commonly reported areas of the neck, shoulders, and lower back and short breaks with stretching (1 minute of stretching every 20 minutes) on neck/upper limb movements for endoscopy assistants. Elbow motion distance, head motion distance, and neck flexion angle were measured using a motion tracking system under the condition with/without inserting stretching breaks during the actual endoscopy operation procedures. With the implementation of the stretching intervention, the neck flexion angle tended to shift towards extension side, indicating an improvement in cervical posture. Besides, the overall motion distance for the left/right elbows had common features like static, and limited movements under both conditions. Although the amount of motion distance varied depending on the technique and workstation layout, such smaller and limited motion distances induced by the nature of assistance work on endoscopy procedures could lead to subsequent musculoskeletal disorders of endoscopy assistants near future.