Most musculoskeletal or movement system disorders (MSD) are the result of a PREVENTABLE imbalance that affects the muscles, tendons, and nerves (the soft tissues) of our movement system. Each day we use our body; physical stress and strain sometimes produces microscopic wear and fatigue to our soft tissues. Normally, this fatigue is fully repaired by rest, circulation, and nutrition through the blood supply. When there is a balance between this fatigue and the repair process, we maintain good HealthVaricose veins and their prevention (flight attendants)" class="glossaryLink " style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none !important; color: rgb(109, 109, 111); border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;">health. But too much fatigue, coupled with too little repair ,can lead to MSD.

RISK FACTORS

WORK:

  • Excessive Force
  • Awkward Posture
  • Repetition
  • Poor Body Mechanics
  • Poor Ergonomic DesignRailway train seats
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    Disabled workers: modification of equipment to suit
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LIFESTYLE:

  • Dehydration
  • Poor Nutrition
  • Fatigue & Inflammation
  • Poor Physical Fitness
  • Muscle Imbalance

Here’s the good news… MSDs are absolutely preventable. MSD prevention strategies seek to reduce daily fatigue and enhance your body’s recovery process. Employing prevention strategies can have an immediate impact on the quality of your life. You can go home with more energy left to do the things that make your life more enjoyable!

Prevention is a shared responsibility! The company is responsible for a safe work environment and procedures, and all workplace athletes are responsible for using their body properly and keeping their body fit for work.

Ergonomics is about working smarter! An ergonomics improvement process seeks to maximize efficiency and to limit worker fatigue and discomfort. This is part of management’s commitment to building an environment that is safe for work. The improvement process identifies ergonomic work process problems and eliminates them.

Proper warm-up & body mechanics will reduce daily fatigue and give you more energy left over at the end of the day! We are ALL athletes in life, so we need to warm-up like athletes to improve our performance and to reduce risk of injury. We should also plan to work smarter… not harder! Proper body mechanics tips to avoid injury: Use two hands to lift objects when possible. Slide parts rather than lift. Keep objects close to the body when carrying and lifting. Push rather than pull whenever possible. Always pivot feet if frequent change in direction is necessary, and never twist the lower back when lifting.

When we don’t get enough sleep, increased release of stress hormones raises the level of inflammation in the body. If rest and sleep deficits persist, we become more vulnerable to injuries and chronic diseases. Sleep experts generally agree that most adults require between 6.5-9 hours of sleep each day to maintain optimal Health.

There’s a correlation between poor levels of physical fitness and increased risk of disease and injury. The lower the level of fitness, the higher the risk of injury. We should incorporate four types of exercise into our fitness plan: 

1) Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise

2) strength TrainingInduction training

Workplace athletes can use ice or cold therapy to control fatigue and soreness after activity. Ice application should be between 15 to 20 minutes applied directly onto the skin of the affected area. Preferably, crushed ice should be used in a plastic bag with the air removed from the bag. An initial aching and/or burning will be felt when the ice is on the skin. After 5 minutes, this should go away as the ice takes effect. Ice is a great anti-inflammatory! Never use heat after activity.

Vitamin & mineral supplements are not a substitute for healthy eating, but they can fill in the gaps and help combat fatigue and inflammation. Many nutrition experts recommend three daily supplements: 1) a high quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, 2) a vitamin D supplement with calcium and magnesium, and 3) an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.