Most
people think that if they purchase fancy equipment
or rearrange the workstation, they will not be at
risk for developing musculoskeletal disorder. In
fact, some people even think that the more they
spend for ergonomic equipment, the safer they will
be. This is false!
Equipment
alone will not solve the growing problem of the
rapidly rising number of people with repetitive
motion musculoskeletal disorders and arthritis in
this country.
Many
people are at risk because of their lifestyle, work
they do and environmental factors.
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Assess
your risk:
To
find out if you are at risk for developing a repetitive
motion musculoskeletal disorder, take our risk assessment.
Step
1: Assess your risk
1.
Do you have any of the following conditions?
Yes No
•
Diabetes
•
Pregnancy
•
Rheumatoid Arthritis
•
Chrohn's Disease
•
Thyroid Disease
2.
Are you more than 10 lbs overweight?
Yes No
3.
Have you ever been in a car accident?
Yes No
4.
Do you currently participate in more than 3 hours
per day of heavy physical activities, such as lifting
or carrying heavy items?
Yes No
5.
Do you type at a computer for more than 2 hours per
day?
Yes No
6.
Do you cradle the telephone between your ear and shoulder
when on the phone?
Yes No
Step
2: Assess your symptoms
7.
During the past 12 months, have you had pain, aching,
stiffness or swelling in or around a joint?
Yes No
8.
In a typical month, were these symptoms present for
at least half the days?
Yes No
9.
Do you feel that work contributes to your pain, or
makes it worse? Yes
No
10.
Are you presently limited in any way to perform any
activities?
Yes No
11.
Do you have pain or stiffness in your neck, shoulder,
hands, wrists, elbow, hip or knees?
Yes No
If
you answered “yes” to any questions 1 through 6, you
are at risk for developing a repetitive motion musculoskeletal
disorder. If you answered “yes” to two or more of
questions 7 through 11, you have symptoms of a musculoskeletal
disorder and you should discuss these symptoms with
your health care professional as soon as possible.
For
more information about how to alleviate symptoms of
musculoskeletal disorders or to find out information
about how to prevent these disorders from occurring,
take one of our courses.
Our
physical therapist is available to visit your organization
and provide training about workstation setup, joint
protection principles and ergonomics. We visit organizations
in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
Contact
us at info@wmsd.org
for more information.
[Please read our website disclaimer
before making any changes in your lifestyle.] |
