People working in every industry, from manufacturing to restaurant and hotel staff, are at risk of having to deal with MSDs or musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal conditions include over 150 diagnoses which affect the locomotor system; that is, bones, joints, and associated tissues including ligaments and tendons. As posted in http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4274335.stm, it is one of the common health conditions among Royal Mail employees. They vary from the ones that arise abruptly and are short lived, like fractures, sprains and strains, to lifelong ailments connected with continuing pain and disability. Below is an overview of this muscle and skeletal health condition.
Signs and Symptoms
Pain and limitation of movement are the unifying features of this set of the range of musculoskeletal conditions. Deformities are usually of long duration for long-term discomfort. Under certain conditions, joint deformities may occur if early diagnosis and treatment are not possible. Among the prevalent symptoms are loss of motion in the joint, deep, dull shoulder ache, weakness in the arm, stiffness in the back, and aching pain between the wrist and the elbow to mention a few.
Prevention and Management
Musculoskeletal conditions share some risk variables similar to those of other non-communicable diseases, such as inadequate physical activity, obesity, smoking, and poor nutrition. While treatment of some musculoskeletal conditions may require medical or specialty care, many can be treated in primary care through a combination of nonpharmacologic cardiac interventions, such as exercise, weight loss, emotional therapies, and pharmacologic treatments.
Social and Economic Impact
The overall health and social costs of cosmetic musculoskeletal conditions are very significant. Spending on musculoskeletal condition is difficult to measure because of the wide range of musculoskeletal conditions and limitations of health care systems. Orthopaedic surgery procedures, for example total joint replacement, account for one of the greatest hospital expenditures.Data are particularly sparse in middle- and non-middle-income areas. Musculoskeletal conditions account for the majority of lost productivity in the workplace.