Evaluation of a single accelerometer based biofeedback system for real-time correction of neck posture in computer users

The worldwide adoption of computers is closely linked to increased prevalence in neck and shoulder pain. Many ergonomic interventions are available; however, the lifetime prevalence of neck pain is still estimated as high as 80%. This paper introduces a biofeedback system using a novel single accelerometer placement. This system allows the user to react and correct for movement into a position of bad posture. The addition of visual information provides artificial proprioceptive information on the cranial-vertebral angle. Six subjects were tested for 5 hours with and without biofeedback. All subjects had a significant decrease in the percentage of time spent in bad posture when using biofeedback.