ABSTRACT
Purpose: The sudden lockdown due to COVID-19 in India led to closure of schools and colleges. This resulted in an increased usage of online mode of study, with a more sedentary lifestyle. The survey study aimed to analyze the prevalence of any musculoskeletal problem in students and teachers due to the same. Methodology: A Google Form was distributed by a snowball sampling technique using various social media platforms. A total of 715 responses were received. Results: Maximum respondents were in the age range of 18-25 years. Eighty eight percent of participants in the survey were involved in the online mode of education, with 60.8% experiencing some form of musculoskeletal pain or discomfort;71% of people believed that the cause of pain was online working. Neck pain (51.3%) followed by low back pain (33.4%) and headaches (29.8%) were commonly reported. University teachers reported maximum pain followed by university students, school teachers and school students. Of all the respondents, 60.8% people admitted to adopting awkward postures while at work, whereas only 27.6% of them exercised to relieve pain and discomfort. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to develop appropriate intervention strategies for people involved in sedentary online work to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort. Physical therapy can play a major role in managing this lifestyle hazard.