Musculoskeletal Disorders | How Muscle Injuries Take a Mental Toll

What is a Musculoskeletal Disorder?

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affect certain areas of the body. This includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, nerves and spinal discs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) divides MSDs into two categories: illness and injury. An injury happens when a worker can identify a time or date, they started to have pain. For example, pulling a muscle while lifting a heavy box.
Illnesses are harder to pin down. An illness is more insidious and onset. You can’t really figure out when exactly it happened. For many, it starts as simple soreness or a twinge of pain. Over time, the pain gets worse. This is often triggered by repetitive motion. Today, ergonomics professionals call this a slow progression cumulative trauma disorder, or musculoskeletal disorder illness.

5 Factors that Contribute to Musculoskeletal Disorders

There are five factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders. These actions or movements are done often in the workplace. Eventually, they can lead to injury and illness. Pain begins when employees do the following motions:

1. Repetition. This is classified as frequency and speed over time. If you are doing something more than twice a minute, then it can be called repetitive. 
2. Force. This includes gripping, pinching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling. 
3. Posture. Awkward posture, or holding the same position for a long time, are MSD risk factors. 
4. Contact stress. Sudden impact, or sustained pressure, on certain parts of the body can create strain.
5. Vibration. There are two types of vibration: whole body and segmental hand-arm. Whole body is caused by moving floors, or activities like driving a machine. Segmental hand-arm occurs often through, like pneumatics guns or sanders.

A single factor isn’t likely to cause injury. Just one alone isn’t going to cause you to have a disorder. It’s usually a combination and from my experience, it’s usually three – when you get three of these risk factors together. For example, posture, force and repetition are the greatest factors in shoulder injuries. However, posture, force and vibration contribute the most to back injuries. 

This video illustrates a proper versus improper body mechanics when lifting an object from the floor.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This video illustrates a technique of maintaining a neutral spine when lifting a light object from the floor.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This is an excellent set of dynamic stretches to replenish nutrients and re-oxygenate the structures of the back. Perform these stretches to give your body a rest when performing activities that involve awkward postures of the back, such as bending forward, bending backward, side bending, or twisting. These are also good to do after prolonged sitting.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This is a dynamic active stretch to correct the top two poor posture habits of forward head and rounded shoulders. Proper posturing of the neck and shoulders opens the vascular and nervous system to replenish nutrients and re-oxygenate upper extremity. Perform this stretch to give your body rest when performing forceful gripping, repetitive gripping, awkward or sustained postures of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand to prevent common disorders such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tendinitis, tendinosis, and muscle strain.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes the strength of the foot.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This is an advanced stretch to replenish nutrients and re-oxygenate the distal upper extremity. This composite stretch originates at the common wrist flexor tendon of the medial epicondyle and pulls all the way down to the deep and superficial tendons that pass through the annular pulleys of the fingers. Perform this stretch to give your body rest when performing forceful gripping, repetitive gripping, awkward or sustained postures of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand to prevent common disorders such as golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tendinitis, tendinosis, and muscle strain.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This video illustrates techniques for massaging the foot.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes the strength and mobility of the distal lower extremity.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes the strength of the abdomen and trunk.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This is an excellent stretch to replenish nutrients and re-oxygenate the distal upper extremity. This composite stretch originates at the nerve roots in the neck and pulls all the way down to the median nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel. Perform this stretch to give your body rest when performing forceful gripping, repetitive gripping, awkward or sustained postures of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes strength for the spine.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This is an excellent stretch that replenishes nutrients and re-oxygenate the hamstrings muscles in the lower extremity. Perform this stretch to give your body a rest when performing activities that involve lifting, carrying, foot pedal use, prolonged standing, or prolonged walking.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes the strength of the shoulders.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

Active Extensor Tendon Stretch

The Active Extensor Tendon Stretch is an excellent stretch to replenish nutrients and re-oxygenate the distal upper extremity. This composite stretch originates at the common wrist extensor tendon of the lateral epicondyle and pulls all the way down to the extensor hood mechanism of the fingers. Perform this stretch to give your body rest when performing forceful gripping, repetitive gripping, awkward or sustained postures of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand to prevent common disorders such as tennis elbow, tendinitis, tendinosis, and muscle strain.

Active extensor tendon stretch is a type of stretching exercise that targets the extensor muscles in the arms and hands. These muscles are responsible for opening the hand and extending the wrist.

Here’s how to perform an active extensor tendon stretch:

1. Sit or stand with good posture, with your arms at your sides and your palms facing inwards.
2. Slowly raise your arms out to the side, keeping them straight, until they are level with your shoulders.
3. Turn your palms to face the floor, and then slowly extend your wrists so that your fingers point upwards.
4. Hold this position for a few seconds, feeling the stretch in your forearms and hands.
5. Slowly lower your arms back down to your sides, and then repeat the exercise for several repetitions.

It’s important to perform this exercise slowly and carefully, without over-stretching the muscles. Stop if you feel any pain or discomfort, and don’t force the stretch beyond your limits. You can perform this exercise as part of a warm-up routine before engaging in any activities that require hand and wrist movement, such as sports or typing.

These early intervention exercises are to improve health and fitness.
It is important to note, if you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.

This exercise promotes strength for the spine and abdomen.

These exercises are to improve health and fitness.
If you have an injury or illness, consult with a health care professional before attempting.