Physical conditions

Nearly one-third of the UK population have musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as arthritis or back pain, and RSI. They result in 30 million lost working days per year. MSK conditions can cause a range of symptoms including stiffness, movement limitations and disability.

Employers can reduce the likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries occurring in the workplace and support those with MSK conditions through:
Regular risk assessments
Maintaining adequate staffing levels
Adopting a personalised approach to the working environment and equipment (ergonomics)
Signposting to guidance on MSK conditions
Promoting regular exercise and movement
Providing access to physical and occupational therapies

Some common physical problems that employees in the UK experience include:
Musculoskeletal disorders: These include back pain and other conditions that can cause stiffness, limited movement, and disability. In 2017, MSK problems were the second most common cause of sickness absence in the UK.
Common common causes of workplace injuries include:
Slips, trips, and falls
Falling objects
Handling, lifting, or carrying
Acts of violence
Repetitive strain injury
Exposure to loud noises
Exposure to toxic fumes
Burns

Some common health and safety risks in the workplace include:
Wet surfaces
Uneven floors
Poor lighting
Cluttered areas
Awkward positions or incorrect posture
Electrical problems
Heating equipment malfunction
Smoking
Spills or leaks of flammable or combustible chemicals

This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers, homeworkers and business partners.

Reasonable adjustments include:
Changing the recruitment process so a candidate with a history of physical problems can be considered for an appropriate job
Doing things another way, such as allowing someone with social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking
Making physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person
Letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user
Changing their equipment, for instance providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis
Allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, including flexible hours or part-time working
Offering employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities

What is RSI?

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) affect the spine and lower limbs as well as the forearms.
Why do some people get RSI from a particular activity whilst others performing the same activity are seemingly immune?

It would appear that the main factors in giving an increased likelihood for RSI fall into the following categories:

Musculo-skeletal
Nerve compression
Amount of time spent performing activities
Intensity of actions required
Fast twitch/slow twitch muscle typology

What is a Repetitive Strain Injury? (RSI)

RSI is a general term used to describe a primary cause of a condition. It can also indicate an aggravating factor of a pre-existing condition. It simply refers to the repeated use of particular muscle groups as causative and/or aggravating factors.

Most often the term RSI is used to classify conditions related to computer work. It also includes conditions caused by writing with pen/pencil, prolonged periods of gripping and squeezing, playing musical instruments, typing and especially using a mouse.

Any action repeated too many times, no matter how light, will produce a repetitive strain.

The RSI maps

As a result of many years of observation of patterns of pain the founder of Workple Wellness produced the ‘RSI maps’. These maps indicate the specific areas most likely to be afflicted by pain and its spread. They enable us to interpret the areas involved and the related hand/wrist/finger/spine/leg movements and tension patterns specific to those areas.

This then enables us to make recommendations regarding habits and to evaluate the nature and severity of the condition.

How to avoid RSI:

1. Use varied means of communicating with your computer, keyboard shortcuts, pen tablets, voice recognition.
2. Do not use the scrollwheel on your mouse, this will give pain along the top of the forearm.
3. Don't grip the mouse when you don't have to.
4. Do not hold the hands pointing up or the extensors on the top of the forearm will become tired and achey.
5. Stretch the hand and forearm tendons regularly.
6. Vitamin and mineral supplements are useful depending on the lack of these elements in the individual. Vitamin B12 and Magnesium can be very useful for the ‘run down’ and crampy person. Certain muscle building dietary supplements can help to build muscle where a person has poor muscle development.
7. General exercise such as cardiovascular exercises stimulates blood flow to the whole body and can therefore be beneficial to all the muscles.
8. Air conditioning drafts should be avoided for those of us who are sensitive to such things as cold air will make the highly temperature sensitive muscles of the neck and the deep muscles of the forearm contract in tension.
9. Hydration. Without water we would all be dead in three days. Water is the largest element of muscle, and is fundamental to all functions of the body. An adult should consume around 1.5 litres per day
11. Experiment with different mouse types and sizes. Always use a laser, wireless mouse or graphic pen. Some touch screens are very ergonomic. Experimentation with different input devices is a good way of judging what is best for the individual.
12. Avoid texting, gaming and emailing by phone.
13. Armrests on chairs should be used. The desk design should not such that it prevents the operator from getting close enough to their desk. Ideally one should be able, with the base of the spine touching the back of your seat, to get close enough under the desk to touch your belly to the desk edge. Too many desks don’t allow for this. If this is the case, the operator will be forced to sit forwards on the edge of their chair. This is very bad for posture and circulation to the legs.
14. Footrests for the vertically challenged are vital.
15. Monitors should be placed so that the operator's natural eye-line falls near to the top of the screen. The screen should be angled slightly back at the top so that it is more parallel with the operators face-line.
16. Psychological factors: Fear is an important factor. Fear is bred by uncertainty.
People react very differently to uncertainty, ranging from the ‘head in the sand’ approach to the suicidal. It is vital that the employee knows as much as possible about their condition, its causes, cures and above all, its prognosis.
This is where expertise comes into its own.
17. Most importantly deadline pressures, being asked to work for 10 hours a day for 6 days is a very common cause.It has been found that the very act of filling in our online analysis/case history has resulted in people realising not only their bad habits but also being able to identify very specific areas of their anatomy and to understand why it is in pain.

When people do not know why they are suffering or what their future holds because of it, despair can dominate. Knowledge is a power that negates anxiety.
The very act of filling in the questions and being able to map out their pain syndromes results in greater empowerment. The resultant advice and observations will then guide them through the reasons why they are suffering and point them towards possible cures.

HOW YOU CAN HELP NOW:

Whilst a small number of RSI and spinal problems can be long-term, the majority are relatively easy to avoid and to correct using a precise diagnosis, examination and treatment of the structures involved. Thus, any physiotherapist, massager, osteopath, chiropractor, gym, trainer, GP or other specialist will find the reports from Workplace Wellness to be of tremendous use in comprehending and treating conditions.

You can also have your own customised website which includes full functionalilty and your own database.
Customisation including full installation by us is currently priced at 5k.

Maybe you would like to license it to set up on your own server for additional control and editing?
A lifetime license is currently priced at 50k. This fee includes collaborative installation and testing.

If your business has more than 1000 staff then please contact us to discuss the best deal for you.
Call 07925616753 and speak to Paul.