The Science Behind Musculoskeletal disorders and the MLI® Solution

MSD are injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels, etc.).

Common MSD include among others:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Tendonitis • Muscle / Tendon strain • Ligament Sprain • Tension Neck Syndrome • Thoracic Outlet Compression • Rotator Cuff Tendonitis • Epicondylitis • Mechanical Back Syndrome • Degenerative Disc Disease • Ruptured / Herniated Disc

We use the term “musculoskeletal disorder” because it accurately describes the problem. Other common names for MSD are “repetitive motion injury”, “repetitive stress injury”, “overuse injury” and many more.

The root cause of MSD is exposure to MSD risk factors. When you are exposed to MSD risk factors, you begin to fatigue.

When fatigue outruns your body’s recovery system, you develop a musculoskeletal imbalance. Over time, as fatigue continues to outrun recovery and the musculoskeletal imbalance persists, a musculoskeletal disorder develops.

The risk factors can be broken up into two categories:

• Work-related (ergonomic) risk factors

• Individual-related risk factors

There are three primary ergonomic risk factors that put your body beyond your ability to recover, leading to a musculoskeletal imbalance and eventually an MSD.

Workplace design plays a crucial role in the development of an MSD.

• High task repetition

Many work tasks and cycles are repetitive in nature, and are frequently controlled by hourly or daily production targets and work processes. High task repetition, when combined with other risks factors such high force and/or awkward postures, can contribute to the formation of MSD. A job is considered highly repetitive if the cycle time is 30 seconds or less.

• Forceful exertions

Many work tasks require high force loads on the human body. Muscle effort increases in response to high force requirements, increasing associated fatigue which can lead to MSD.

• Repetitive or sustained awkward postures

Awkward postures place excessive force on joints and overload the muscles and tendons around the effected joint. Joints of the body are most efficient when they operate closest to the mid-range motion of the joint. Risk of MSD is increased when joints are worked outside of this mid-range repetitively or for sustained periods of time without adequate recovery time.

Poor work practices, your overall health habits, how you prioritise rest and recovery and finally your nutrition play a great role in developing an MSD.

Individual risk factors include:

• Poor work practices

Workers who use poor work practices, body mechanics and lifting techniques are introducing unnecessary risk factors that can contribute to MSD. These poor practices create unnecessary stress on your body that increases fatigue and decreases your body’s ability to properly recover.

• Poor overall health habits

If you smoke, drink excessively, are obese, or exhibit other poor health habits you are putting yourself at risk for not only musculoskeletal disorders, but also for other chronic diseases.

• Poor rest and recovery

MSD develop when fatigue outruns your recovery system, causing a musculoskeletal imbalance. Adequate rest and recovery is very important.

• Poor nutrition, fitness and hydration

Taking care of your bodyis important. Malnutrition put you at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal and chronic health problems.

Tennis elbow is inflammation of tendons, as well as injury to tendons and muscles around the elbow joint as a result of overuse.

While this injury is common for tennis players, anyone who engages in repetitive motion with their forearms, especially motion that repeatedly applies force, can develop tennis elbow. For this reason, tennis elbow is very common in a number of professions; athletes, carpenters, butchers, plumbers and also office workers.

Tennis elbow is typically difficult to treat. Read about treatment options below.

Treatment options include:

1) Activity Modification - You may need to change some of your activities. This is where MLI Elbow can help you.

2) Rest - One of the best treatments for tennis elbow is rest. Overuse causes tennis elbow, so resting is both an effective and often simple treatment option.

3) Over the Counter Pain Medication - Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDS, often available over the counter, are usually effective in treating the pain and inflammation associated with tennis elbow. It is important to talk to your doctor before starting any medication regimen.

4) Changing Equipment – Scientists have found that those using inappropriately sized equipment are often at higher risk for tennis elbow.

5) Physical Therapy and Exercise - Physical therapy is often helpful for orthopedic injuries, including tennis elbow, because they focus on strengthening muscles that work with and support joints and bones.

6) Steroid Injections - your doctor may recommend cortisone injections directly into the affected muscle to reduce acute swelling and pain.

7) On rare occasions, if these options have been attempted over a long period of time and been ineffective, your doctor may recommend surgical treatment options.

Most companies and municipalities are on top of their physically work environment. But they are also facing some issues. Our research shows that the three most present problems working with physically work environment are:

1) What is the next step working with physically work environment? As mentioned most companies and municipalities are on top of their physically work environment, but many still experience issues with attrition, daily pain and absent employees. So, what to do? PRECURE Insight is doing a deep analysis based on actual muscle strain on the employees. This provides a very specific and databased action plan for the company to implement making a real difference in day to day workplace.

2) Employees compliance Are you using your elevator table? If the answer is no, don’t be ashamed. This is the case for 80% of us. And, this is a really serious problem. If you are not using the tools and good advice your company provides – they do not make a difference! MLI® Business helps your employees to reduce the risk of MSD by change behaviours.

3) Retirement age is going up If we are to stay longer on the job market, we need to take care of our body in new and better ways. This include better ergonomics. More job rotation. Less repetitive work and a lot better compliance towards changing inexpedient behavior! PRECURE´s solution is targeted towards solving these issues with a simple user-friendly approach!

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury - anyone who engages in repetitive motion with their forearms can develop tennis elbow.

While exactly what causes tennis elbow is unclear, there are several risk factors, including:

1) Repetitive motion - Overuse of the elbow is a major contributing factor in the development of tennis elbow.

2) Age - Most people who develop tennis elbow are between the ages of 30 and 50.

3) Activities - Anyone who vigorously uses her or his forearm muscle on a regular basis is at greater risk for developing tennis elbow.

4)Technique and equipment - Those who use improper technique, or whose equipment is not appropriately sized for his or her body are at greater risk for tennis elbow.

5) This said, sometimes an individual with no obvious risk factors develops tennis elbow. When the causes are unknown, doctors may refer to the condition as “insidious” tennis elbow.