Exploring the Interaction Between Head-Supported Mass, Posture, and Visual Stress on Neck Muscle Activation

Abstract

Objective: Assess neck muscle activity for varying interactions between helmet, posture, and visual stress in a simulated “helo-hunch” posture. Background: Military aviators frequently report neck pain (NP). Risk factors for NP include head-supported mass, awkward postures, and mental workload. Interactions between these factors could induce constant low-level muscle activation during helicopter flight and better explain instances of NP. Method: Interactions between physical loading (helmet doffed/donned), posture (symmetric/asymmetric), and visual stress (low/high contrast) were studied through neck muscle electromyography (EMG), head kinematics, subjective discomfort, perceived workload, and task performance. Subjects (n = 16) performed eight 30-min test conditions (varied physical loading, posture, and visual stress) while performing a simple task in a simulated “helo-hunch” seating environment. Results: Conditions with a helmet donned had fewer EMG median frequency cycles (which infer motor unit rotation for rest/recovery, where more cycles are better) in the left cervical extensor and left sternocleidomastoid. Asymmetric posture (to the right) resulted in higher normalized EMG activity in the right cervical extensor and left sternocleidomastoid and resulted in less lateral bending compared with neutral across all conditions. Conditions with high visual stress also resulted in fewer EMG cycles in the right cervical extensor. Conclusion: A complex interaction exists between the physical load of the helmet, postural stress from awkward postures, and visual stress within a simulated “helo-hunch” seating environment. Application: These results provide insight into how visual factors influence biomechanical loading. Such insights may assist future studies in designing short-term administrative controls and long-term engineering controls.