Prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Pain Among Neurosurgeons and Trainees in the Philippines

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal pain has become a growing concern in the practice of neurosurgery.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted among neurosurgery consultants and residents in the Philippines. The survey was adapted from previously published literature on work-related musculoskeletal pain in surgical specialties, and consisted of questions for demographic data, case load, operating room ergonomics, and the Borg pain scale for five index neurosurgical operations: supratentorial craniotomy (SC), infratentorial craniotomy (IC), transsphenoidal surgery (TS), ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion, and spine surgery (SS).

Results: A total of 100 respondents (56 consultants and 44 residents) were obtained, with a response rate of 46% (100/217). The mean pain scores were greater in residents than consultants across all anatomic regions and index operations. For consultants, the greatest prevalence of pain was found at the neck (SC 76.8%, IC 89.3%, TS 69.6%, VPS 33.9%, and SS 71.4%). For residents, it was at the lower back (SC 84.1%, IC 86.4%, TS 75.0%, VPS 47.7%, and SS 79.5%). The most common intraoperative response was to stretch or change the height of the neurosurgical field or microscope angulation, while the most common behavioral response was increased irritability and decreased patience.

Conclusion : Consultants, who are older and have more medical and musculoskeletal comorbidities, but have more experience in the practice of neurosurgery and more time devoted to exercise, had lower pain scores than residents. Future studies can be geared towards instituting ergonomic training and educational programs for consultant and resident health.