THE EFFECTS OF NEUTRAL POSTURE DEVIATIONS ON PERCEIVED JOINT DISCOMFORT RATINGS IN SITTING AND STANDING POSTURES

There is a pressing need to rank body deviations from neutral postures which occur due to variety of body movements around different joints. Such knowledge is needed to better understand potentially adverse eff ects of poor working postures on the industrial population. The main o bjective of this study was to examine the effects of postural deviatio ns on perceived joint discomfort ratings assessed under similar workin g conditions. Twelve males and seven females participated in the labor atory study. The results revealed several distinct classes of joint de viations from neutral postures. which need to be assigned different we ights of postural stress. A preliminary ranking system for assessment of stressfulness of human body deviations about different joints was p roposed.