Evaluation of foot swelling and lower-limb temperatures in relation to leg activity during long-term seated office work

Abstract

Seven healthy females were studied during three experimental days, each comprising 8 hours of seated office work at different well-defined levels of leg activity. The mean foot swelling was 4·8% in the case of no leg activity (‘inactive sitting’), 2·3% when the legs were moved freely (‘ semi-active sitting’) and 0·8% at the highest activity level (‘active sitting’). The activity of the soleus muscle was evaluated by EMG and discussed in relation to the function of the musculovenous pump. The decrease in skin temperature (T_sk ) of the foot and lower leg was completed after half the working day, and on average it was 4·6°C/2·8°C (foot) and 3·3°C/l·6°C (lower leg) during ‘inactive sitting’/‘active sitting’. The mean temperature in the flexor hallucis longus muscle (T_m ) decreased by 3·7°C during the 8 hours of ‘inactive sitting’, but was almost constant during ‘active sitting’. The discomfort of the lower leg and foot was significantly correlated to foot swelling and T_m , but not to T_sk . The mean heart rate was highest during ‘inactive sitting’.

The results indicate that it is possible to reduce physiological and discomfort problems in the lower legs and feet during prolonged sedentary work by introducing modest leg activity as a natural part of the seated work.

Keywords:

• Oedema
• Electromyography
• Human engineering
• Plethysmography
• Posture
• Skin temperature.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

JØRGEN WINKEL

Reprint requests and correspondence to: J⊘rgen Winkel, Unit of Work Physiology, National Board of Occupational Safety and Health, S-171 84 Solna, Sweden.