As a common and expensive disorder that is experienced by many across the globe, Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD’s) is a condition that is considered quite painful and disruptive to the human body. There is not only one type of Musculoskeletal Disorder but several. It is commonly caused by injuries in the work environment and in the U.S., for instance, makes up about 30% of the reason why people develop these disorders. It is thus also considered one of the biggest workplace injuries amongst any other.
An injury on duty in the workplace, especially those of physical labour, is turning out to be a massive problem, one that costs billions of dollars annually as treatment following MSD’s are extremely expensive.
Since they are preventable, companies and many different lines of practice have installed various preventative measures to lower the risk of employees obtaining these disorders.
What is Musculoskeletal Disorder?
As a general disorder that can be described as one that is caused by injuries and other disorders that affects your nervous system, MSD’s is a serious condition. Ultimately symptoms include pain, aches, limited range of motion, as well as damage to your tendons, ligaments, nerves, muscles, discs and blood vessels.
The many different types of MSD’s
When referring to the musculoskeletal system, disorder and illnesses are common as the human body endures various activities, accidents and something as simple as hyperextension of the muscles each day. Some of the most common and long lists of MSD's include the more common ones such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, a ligament sprain, Tension Neck Syndrome and any other muscle or tendon sprain. Others that are less common include Thoracic Outlet Compression, Epicondylitis, Digital Neuritis, Radial Tunnel Syndrome, Rotator Cuff Tendonitis, Trigger Finger, DeQuervain’s Syndrome, Mechanical Back Syndrome, a raptured r herniated disc, as well degenerative muscle and disc diseases.
When looking at the many different disorders around MSD’s, the name is quite appropriate as all the above mentioned are disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Another common name is “repetitive motion injury”, or similar to that, “repetitive stress injury”. Musculoskeletal Disorder is preferred because the other only refers to one type of injury, whereas MSD’s refer to multiple as there are many and not just one.
The causes and how to prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
There has been much debate regarding the many risk factors surrounding MSD’s. Although there are many symptoms and negative effects, it all starts with excessive fatigue. Once your body experiences an MSD, its recovery system works overtime, causing it to develop a musculoskeletal imbalance. If not treated, in which some cases an excessive MSD cannot be treated, the body depletes itself and a musculoskeletal disorder develops.
Except for an injury, an MSD can also be caused by ergonomic and individual risk factors with ergonomic including an excessive or straining force, an unbalance or incorrect posture, as well as repetition. Individual risk factors include poor fitness levels, overextension of the muscles and spine, poor health habits and physical labour that can be too much for the body.
Considering how easy it is to obtain one of these Musculoskeletal Disorders and the major impact it can have on your life, one must always be careful with whatever you do as you only get one body and it is one such that you must look after at all means necessary.
