OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of 3 different health promotion exercise programs for work-related shoulder and neck pain. DESIGN: Comparative study design. SUBJECTS: A total of 178 employees were recruited and grouped. METHODS: Those in the "Self-exercise group" (n = 56) were given a lecture about the exercise program and then performed the program by themselves during their office break. "Team-exercise group I" (n = 69) performed the program once under the supervision of a physiotherapist after the lecture. "Team-exercise group II" (n = 14) performed the program twice; once under a physiotherapist's supervision. A modified Nordic questionnaire, pain threshold and cervical range of motion were used to evaluate the effect of intervention. There were 39 subjects in the reference group. RESULTS: When daily change of pain threshold (post-work minus pre-work) was treated as an improvement index, the odds ratios for the self-exercise group, team-exercise group I and team-exercise group II were 1.39, 4.63 (p < 0.05) and 7.06 (p < 0.05), respectively, compared with the reference group. A dose-response effect of intervention intensity was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: An intensive team-exercise program is beneficial in reducing neck and shoulder symptoms in sedentary workers.

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