A Chinese study has suggested that high levels of psychological stress are a significant factor in the cause of shoulder and upper back complaints in computer workers. Participants who had high levels of workload were more likely to develop lower back pain than upper back pain.

The 203 participants in the study were computer users and reported high levels of shoulder (73%), neck, (71%) and upper back (60%) pain. Thoise participants with the highest workloads had even greater levels of symptoms