Fiona EvardPhysiotherapistMoving and Handling Coordinator

Harrogate and District

NHS Foundation Trust

The Physiology of Upper Limb Disorder and Back Pain

People are at their best when

They do a wide range of variable motions and tasks.

BUT They are limited, wear out, and lose

accuracy quickly. Have a fixed physical design. Are highly affected by the environment

Physical Stress

Excessive loads and repetitive motions can cause problems

The Formula

REPETITION X FORCE X POSTURE

pain and discomfort

Muscle weakness

Numbness and tingling sensations

Limited range of motion

Common Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Epicondylitis and Bicipital Tendonitis Rotator Cuff Tendonitis Shoulder Capsulitis Impingement Syndrome Tenosynovitis Cervical Spondylosis Tension Neck

The Painful Shoulder

Sternoclavicular joint Acromioclavicular joint Subacromial space Glenohumeral joint Scapulothoracic joint Rotator cuff muscles: supraspinatus,

infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis.

Causes of pain

Impingementpain between 60 and 120 degrees of abduction. Normal x rays

Rotator cuff tears,the result of chronic impingement. A scan will show the extent of the tear. Possible arthroscopic repair.

Frozen shoulderchronic inflammation with loss of range of movement. Recovery prolonged. Physio and medication

Calcific tendonitis.calcium salts deposited in tendons. Pain aggravated by movement. Injection or decompression

Hands and Wrists

Tendonitis: Tendons connect the powerful forearm muscles to your fingers.

When using the hand the tendons slide back and forth through a sleeve within the Carpal Tunnel

Repetition creates friction and pain

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The tunnel is small and creates a ‘bottleneck’

Excessive wrist movement creates a ‘kink’ in tunnel

Pain and inflammation result. A major nerve running through the

tunnel becomes compressed. Numbness, pain, pins and needles etc.

Epicondilitis or tennis elbow

Neck Pain

Wear and Tear Static Postures Inability to adjust

heights No Breaks

equals

Muscle Spasm, Fatigue, Pressure on intervertebral discs and pain

Adverse Neural Tension

The position of the head creates pressure on the nerve root.

This can cause headache The nerve ‘tethers’ at the elbow. Its smooth movement is impinged. This results in a constant aching.

Summary

Poor work stations lead to: Musculoskeletal Disorders which are: INFLAMMATION Prevention is better than the cure Risk Assessment and ACTION