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Paper text:
recently , with increased use of devices such as computers and smartphones , the number of 
 complaints involving musculoskeletal pain in areas such as the wrist , shoulder , neck , and 
 low back has been on the rise1 , 2 . working on these devices often requires a posture involving 
 cervical and low back flexion for a prolonged duration , as the users have to constantly look 
 at the screen display3 , 4 . owing to these inappropriate postures , the users are continually 
 subjected to static loads1 .
this 
 phenomenon leads to excessive cervical and lumbar muscle activities and is a major cause of 
 severe stress and pain in the surrounding tissues and joints1 .
the resulting conditions are referred to as cumulative trauma 
 disorders , and force , postures , and repetitiveness are commonly mentioned as the three 
 causal factors of these disorders3 , 4 .
long - term computer use is a typical example 
 of an activity where all these factors that have serious effects on the body are 
 involved1 .
previous studies have shown that more than 80% of computer users 
 report occasional discomfort in the back , neck , wrist , and shoulders2 . although the discomfort or pain is initially managed with 
 the interventions , musculoskeletal problems are recurrent because of intrinsic factors such 
 as a habitual bad posture and absence of long - term management1 , 3 , 4 .
currently , however , measuring instruments for management of musculoskeletal 
 system conditions or monitoring of current conditions are insufficient ; particularly , no 
 instrument with a self - assessment function that would enable patients to check changes in 
 their musculoskeletal system is available .
the purpose of the present study was to 
 investigate the effects of a self - assessment device for pelvic position in a computer user 
 with back pain .
a 37-year - old man who complained of low back pain ( lbp ) at l35 levels was the participant . 

the purpose and methods of the study were explained to the participant before study 
 inclusion , and informed consent was obtained from the participant according to the 
 principles of the declaration of helsinki .
he complained of continuous lbp for 2  years , and 
 the examination revealed a posterior pelvic tilt .
he 
 experienced pain and stiffness in his low back on forward flexion in the standing position 
 with knees fully extended .
this sensor can be utilized for measurement of actual values of 
 anterior / posterior motions .
an accelerometer sensor was included ; the acceleration values 
 and the extent of movement and activities were measured using mathematical transformation 
 formulas . in particular , different movements were calculated in the x , y , and z planes .
two 
 sensors were utilized in linkage with each other for anterior , posterior , and lateral pelvic 
 movements ; highly reliable values were obtained .
this instrument was in the form of a pelvic 
 belt that could be worn to measure anterior , posterior , and lateral pelvic movements . in the 
 prototype used in the present study ,
a display device was placed in front of the patient in 
 his field of view , so that he could identify the measured values .
visual effects using red 
 and green colors were applied so that the user could identify the degree of hypo- or 
 hyper - motion during anterior , posterior , and lateral pelvic movement .
the subject 
 periodically assessed his pelvic position after prolonged computer use with the self- 
 measuring instrument and carried out the exercise program based on the results of the 
 assessment .
the patient was instructed in self - measurement and the self - exercise program for 
 two months , which helped control the pain . the vas score and range of motion ( rom ) of the 
 trunk before and after the instruction were assessed and compared .
when the display showed a 
 red light indicating an anterior pelvic tilt , the patient performed posterior pelvic tilt 
 exercises .
the patient assumed the supine position with his knees bent , feet flat on the 
 floor , arms crossed , and hands placed his chest . in the prone position , his hips and legs 
 were off the end of a table or bench .
tightening the buttock on one side , he extended the 
 leg up toward the ceiling while maintaining a neutral spine .
when the display showed a red 
 light indicating a posterior pelvic tilt , he performed exercises for an anterior pelvic 
 tilt .
he stood with his feet shoulder width apart and both hands holding 5-kg weights ; he 
 then flexed the trunk slowly until parallel with the floor while maintaining the natural 
 arch of the back with the shoulder blades back and then slowly returned to the starting 
 position .
he sat on a table with his hips and knees flexed to 90. reciprocal flexion to 
 above 120 hip flexion on both sides was performed with the knees flexed to 90. when the 
 display showed a red light indicating a lateral pelvic tilt , he performed trunk stretching 
 exercises in all directions .
vas and trunk rom were measured and compared before and after 
 management using self- assessment and exercise for two months .
after self - assessment for pelvic position and the exercise program , the vas was decreased 
 to 3 from the initial score of 7 ; additionally , trunk flexion , extension , and left and right 
 lateral flexion angles ( 55 , 18 , 24 , and 23 , respectively ) were increased when compared 
 with the initial assessment ( 62 , 23 , 30 , and 32 , respectively ) .
management of the irreversible musculoskeletal damage caused by prolonged computer use 
 takes a long time1 , 5 . as with all other conditions , effective treatment of 
 musculoskeletal system conditions
requires eliminating the fundamental causes of pain , which 
 prevents progression toward irreversible degeneration .
the present study investigated effects of a 
 self - assessment device for pelvic position in a computer user with back pain .
devices that 
 enable patients to detect the damage in the initial stages should be developed , and patients 
 should be educated in the use of these devices .
the mechanical properties of tissues around 
 the lumbo - pelvic region , i.e. the muscle length or nerve tension , affect lumbo - pelvic motion 
 and contribute to lbp6 .
daily repetitive 
 movements owing to sustained computer use while seated in a chair may result in hyper - stress 
 on the tissues of the spine and pelvis .
the pelvic position is generally more closely 
 related to lbp1 , 5 . in the present study
, there was a significant decrease in back pain 
 and increase in trunk rom after self - assessment and exercise .
effective management of 
 chronic musculoskeletal pain is markedly different from that of acute musculoskeletal 
 pain7 .
it requires self - management , 
 where the patient checks and makes corrections as necessary7 , 8 .
therefore , 
 self - anthropometers and measuring methods are considered an important area of study in 
 patients with back pain related to a chronic musculoskeletal disorder . the need for these 
 methods will increase in the future as they enable early management of musculoskeletal 
 disorders .
[ purpose ] the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a 
 self - assessment device for pelvic position in a computer user with back pain . 
 [ subjects ] a 
 37-year - old man who complained of low back pain at l35 levels was the participant . 
 [ methods ] in this study , a self - assessment device for the pelvic position was developed . 
 
 the patient was instructed in self - assessment of the pelvic position and an exercise 
 program for two months . prior to this instruction , the visual analog scale score and range 
 of motion of the trunk 
 were assessed . 
 [ results ] after the instruction in self - assessment 
 of the pelvic position and exercise program , the visual analog scale score decreased from 
 7 to 3 , and trunk flexion , extension , and bilateral lateral flexion range of motion were 
 increased compared to the initial assessment . 
 [ conclusion ] therefore , use of 
 self - anthropometers and measuring methods in patients with chronic back pain is considered 
 an important area of study .