Headaches and neck pain in farmers

Scutter, Sheila; Türker, Kemal S.; Hall, Robert

Affiliations

¹Faculty of Health and Biomedical Science, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

²Department of Physiology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

³School of Mathematics, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Abstract and keywords

The prevalence of headache and neck pain in farmers was determined by use of a questionnaire. Information about activities which increased the symptoms and about the treatments sought was also recorded. Results showed that 77.7% of farmers experienced neck pain and 79.2% experienced headache. Driving a tractor was the activity which was most frequently described as increasing symptoms in both conditions. While driving a tractor, farmers are exposed to whole-body vibration and assume a rotated neck posture. The contribution of these factors to the development of headache and neck pain is discussed.

Keywords: farmers; headaches; neck pain; tractor driving; whole-body vibration

Links

DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.1997.tb00226.x

PubMed: 9437926

History

Accepted: 1996-06

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Cited By (11)

Year	Entry
2006	Eger T, Stevenson J, Grenier S, Boileau P-É, Smets M; VibRG. Whole-body vibration exposure and driver posture evaluation during the operation of LHD vehicles in underground mining. In: Proceedings of the 1st American Conference on Human Vibration. June 5-7, 2006; Morgantown, MV.119-120.
2008	Eger T, Stevenson J, Boileau P-É, Salmoni A; VibRG. Predictions of health risks associated with the operation of load-haul-dump mining vehicles, I: analysis of whole-body vibration exposure using ISO 2631-1 and ISO-2631-5 standards. Int J Ind Ergon. 2008;38(9-10):726-738.
2008	Salmoni AW, Cann AP, Gillin EK, Eger TR. Case studies in whole-body vibration assessment in the transportation industry: challenges in the field. Int J Ind Ergon. 2008;38(9-10):783-791.
2008	Eger T, Stevenson J, Callaghan JP, Grenier S; VibRG. Predictions of health risks associated with the operation of load-haul-dump mining vehicles, II: evaluation of operator driving postures and associated postural loading. Int J Ind Ergon. 2008;38(9-10):801-815.
2023	Pradhan NC, Sahoo PK, Kushwaha DK, Makwana Y, Mani I, Kumar M, T N A, V SK. A finite element modeling-based approach to predict vibrations transmitted through different body segments of the operator within the workspace of a small tractor. J Field Robot. September 2023;40(6):1543-1561.
2011	Eger T, Stevenson JM, Grenier S, Boileau P-É, Smets MP. Influence of vehicle size, haulage capacity and ride control on vibration exposure and predicted health risks for LHD vehicle operators. J Low Freq Noise Vib Act Control. March 2011;30(1):45-62.
2006	Eger T, Salmoni A, Cann A, Jack R. Whole-body vibration exposure experienced by mining equipment operators. Occup Ergon. 2006;6(3-4):121-127.
2016	Byrnell HK. Personal Protective Equipment as a Control Strategy to Reduce Foot-Transmitted Vibration [Master's thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2016.
2016	Killen W. Evaluation of a Vibration Measurement Tool as Part of a Whole-Body Vibration Management Program in Underground Hard-Rock Mining [Master's thesis]. Sudbury, ON: Laurentian University; 2016.
2011	Conrad LF. Whole-Body Vibration on Mobile Machines Within the Steel Making Industry: Assisting Industries With Proper Seat Selection to Retrofit Existing Machines [Master's thesis]. University of Guelph; January 2011.
2012	Jack RJ. Investigating Whole-Body Vibration Injuries in Forestry Skidder Operators: Combining Operator Vibration Exposures and Postures in the Field With Biodynamic Responses in the Laboratory [PhD thesis]. Guelph, ON: University of Guelph; January 2012.