Symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders in ophthalmologists.

OBJECTIVE To describe the presence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the neck, low back, and upper extremity among ophthalmologists. DESIGN Survey. METHODS Mail survey using a pretested instrument to 2,529 ophthalmologists in the Northeastern United States; 697 ophthalmologists (28%) returned a completed survey. RESULTS Self-reported prevalence of neck, upper body, or lower back symptoms in the prior month was 51.8%. Low back pain was present in 39% of respondents, followed by upper extremity symptoms (32.9%) and neck pain (32.6%). Approximately 15% of ophthalmologists were slightly to moderately limited in their work as a result of these symptoms. CONCLUSION MSD symptoms appear to be common among ophthalmologists. With a relatively low response rate, however, it is plausible that asymptomatic subjects represent a large percentage of the nonrespondents. Additional investigation is warranted to evaluate ergonomic risk factor exposure and establish injury prevention guidelines.