Comparative Analysis of SCM Muscle Fatigue in Office Workers with Hunched Posture: A Study on Chronic Lower Back Pain versus Non-Affected Individuals

Abstract

This study examines the disparities between people suffering from chronic lower back pain (LBP) and those who do not, with a particular focus on how extended periods of sitting with poor posture affect fatigue and discomfort in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles among office employees. Eighty university staff and students were enrolled in the study by matching age, BMI, and type of job. They were split into two groups later: a control group (n = 40) with no back pain and a pain group (n = 40) with a history of lower back pain (LBP). Pain intensity was measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), while SCM muscle activity was measured via surface electromyography (sEMG) during both normal and hunched postures. Participants maintained each posture for a specified duration of 30 min. The study revealed that Pain_Hunched group exhibited significantly reduced SCM muscle activity compared to the Control_Hunched group (mean difference = −9.728, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the SCM muscle activity in the Pain_Hunched group was significantly lower than that of the Pain_Normal group (mean difference = −2.769, p = 0.041). These results highlight the heightened SCM muscle activity during hunched postures, particularly in individuals with LBP. The results emphasize the crucial role posture plays in influencing SCM muscle activation and pain perception among individuals with LBP. These results imply that correcting one's posture could be a useful pain management intervention technique for this population. The long-term impacts of postural adjustments and their possible advantages in clinical contexts, such as incorporating ergonomic interventions or specific exercise regimens, should be investigated in future studies.