Hair Therapy & Transplantation
Open Access

Prevelance of Cervical Pain in Make-Up Artist and Hair Dressers of Lahore

Amirah Zafar^{* *}Correspondence: Amirah Zafar, Department of Anatomy, National University of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, Email:

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Description

In two third of population, cervicalgia is a common problem also known as neck pain. It may arise due to joint disruption and muscular tightness of upper back and neck. Many of the population in the world complain neck pain and the causing agent may be social, environmental and psychological. Some of the common causes of neck pain are prolonged static posture, minor fall or injuries, physical and emotional stress, pinched nerve, referred pain, protruding and bulging disc and extent of activity. In a study, it was revealed that workers who were involved in prolonged activities with flexed neck complain of neck pain. Some symptoms of neck pain include numbness and tingling, stiffness of neck, headache and weakness. Neck pain can be caused with or without neurological deformities. Cervical spondylosis, injuries to soft tissues and ligaments are major reasons of cervical pain. Imaging and physical examination can be used to diagnose cervical pain but these methods cannot locate the exact cause of cervical pain. Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) are also termed as Repetitive strain injury (RST), Repeated Motions Injury (RMI) and Occupational Overuse Disorders (OODs). The risk factors of WMSDs have increased over recent years. As makeup artists perform their job mostly in prolonged standing and in specific postures and flexed cervical region, there is a high risk of them to develop WMSDs. Therefore, the objective of this research is to study prevalence of cervical pain in make-up artist and hair dresser.

According to social and psychological characteristics of the workers can directly affect the posture, working conditions and speed therefore may result in physiological changes and hence result into musculoskeletal problems. Physical and socio psychological factors are strongly related to each other.

Makeup artists or beauticians have high incidence of work related musculoskeletal disorders due to their prolonged standing and abnormal static posture during their work and also due to their poor social and psychological conditions. Very few researches are related to musculoskeletal disorders in make-up artists. The consequences of musculoskeletal problems in makeup artists may result in chronic pain so focus on the risk factors should be taken in account. Kuslich studied that facet joints are capable of transferring neck pain to low back also the ligaments, fascia and muscles are highly affected. So, the main objective of this study is to report prevalence of neck pain in makeup artists. And to guide them to prevent neck deformities or pain due to poor work postures. It was a cross-sectional study design. 150 participants were taken and it includes makeup artists, hair dressers. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used and the main target population age lies between 25-40 years. The inclusion criteria were 25-40 years age, both genders are included, more than 8-9 consecutive working hours in salon, static posture for long period of time and use of dominant hand. The exclusion criteria were traumatic injury to cervical, fracture, tumors, cervical spondylitis, surgery, cervical rib, working hours less than inclusion criteria. A total of 150 makeup artists and other beautician were included in this research. For data collection Northwick park neck pain questionnaire was used.

This study showed that 37.33% workers have mild cervical pain, 22% have moderate pain and 0.67% workers have very severe cervical pain and in disparity with a research by Alexandra who reported that neck pain was most prevalent musculoskeletal problem workers complained of chronic neck pain. 40% of workers sleep is occasionally disturbed, in 31.33% of workers sleep is never disturbed, and in 24% of workers sleep is regularly disturbed, 3.3% of workers sleep less than 5 hrs and 1.33% workers sleep less than 2 hrs due to pain. 46% of workers have no numbness, 38.6% workers have occasional numbness and 15.33% there is regular numbness occur because of poor ergonomic and static awkward posture while performing their work. 33.33% of workers are normal, 46% of workers have pain for less than 1 hour, and 15.33% have pain for 1-4 hrs, 4.66% have pain for more than 5 hrs and 0.66% has pain all day while doing their work. This study demonstrates that make-up artist and hairdressers have cervical pain and numbness in arms due to prolong working hours which ultimately affect their ergonomics and posture of neck and body. These consecutive long working hours and use of dominant hand cause strain in cervical muscles which also limit the neck movements.