The Lumbar Roll May Support Maintaining an Upright Posture of the Neck During a Prolonged Typing Task Among Individuals With Neck Symptoms: A Randomized Crossover Two-Arm Experimental Study

Background One possible biomedical cause of neck symptoms among those who use computers is prolonged mechanical load to the peri-cervical structures, such as the forward head posture. A lumbar roll can immediately change neck posture, and thus, may be a potential tool to reduce mechanical load to the peri-cervical structures during prolonged computer tasks. Identifying the effect of such a supporting item on neck symptoms is one of the future priorities in the latest edition of a physical therapy practice guideline. This study aimed to investigate whether the lumbar roll allows the head, neck, and trunk to maintain a more upright posture and reduce loads to the peri-cervical muscles during a prolonged typing task. Methodology Thirty participants with neck symptoms completed a crossover randomized experiment involving two 60-min typing sessions, one with and one without a lumbar roll. Changes in craniovertebral angle (CVA), cranial cervical angle (CCA), spinal and scapular alignment, and muscle activity and changes in subjective discomfort of the neck before and after the typing task were compared. Results Only CVA and spinal alignment immediately improved using a lumbar roll. A notable difference in the CVA between the two conditions was seen for 58.3% of the 60-min typing task. Conclusion This study indicated the usefulness of the lumbar roll to maintain a more upright neck posture although its effect may or may not be meaningful. However, the lumbar roll would negligibly affect the head, trunk, and scapular postures, loads to the peri-cervical muscles, and subjective discomfort of the neck.