Surface EMG in Ergonomics and Occupational Medicine

Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders is one of the main goals in ergonomics. The development of methods to quantify muscle force, fatigue, and muscle involvement in a work task is important for this purpose surface electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic measurements are the main tools for the quantitative evaluation of risks related to work activity. The literature regarding the potential of sEMG techniques in ergonomic studies is extensive and concerns many applications, some of which are listed: work at display terminals and office workstations, production line workstations, work with surgical workstations and workspace optimization. Surface EMG has a remarkable potential role in the prevention, monitoring, documentation, and possibly treatment of work related disorders. Insufficient research funding and standardization efforts are still limiting its applications. Much greater research efforts are required to transform its potential into a practical technique with clinical and legal relevance and economic impact on work health.