Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) can occur in any industry, but especially so for those in the healthcare industry. Nurses, doctors, sonographers, and other healthcare professionals spend their days handling equipment, dealing with patients, and staying on their feet. All of these factors can lead to back and shoulder pain and, eventually, WRMSDs.

Thankfully, there is a way to prevent this. Ergonomics can help protect healthcare workers while ensuring they provide us with the care we need.

How work-related musculoskeletal disorders occur in the healthcare industry

We don’t often think of the physical risks associated with the healthcare industry, but they’re a real thing. There are several ways that a healthcare professional can get injured on the job. These include the following:

• Repetition: Performing the same tasks over and over again can cause repetitive strain injury.
• Awkward Postures: Healthcare professionals may have to use awkward postures for a sustained period in order to operate some equipment.
• Patient Handling: Healthcare professionals often have to lift and handle patients, which can cause muscle and ligament strain, tears, inflammation, and more.

How to prevent WRMSDs

To protect our healthcare workers, we need to find ways to prevent WRMSDs. Thankfully, there are many ways to do so:

• Conduct an ergonomic evaluation: Before you can start preventing WRMSDs, you first need to know what, exactly, is causing it. This will involve an ergonomic evaluation where a professional will determine what kind of ergonomic stressors your workers are being exposed to.
• Provide training programs: Training programs can educate healthcare workers on the dangers of WRMSDs and help them find ways to prevent them.
• Install ergonomic equipment: Ergonomic equipment can help reduce strain which will, in turn, reduce WRMSDs.

At Accredited Rehabilitation Consultants, we offer both ergonomic evaluations and ergonomic equipment for healthcare workers. Contact us today at 323-930-699 to learn more.

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